


Home is Wherever I’m With You

by KyluxFicHell



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dad Billy, Dad Steve, Fluff, Future Fic, Hawkins Reunion, M/M, Marriage, Mentions of homophobia, Mentions of past abuse, Minor Character Death, Mystery, Protective Billy, Protective Steve, mentions of dementia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-02-03 21:24:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12756477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyluxFicHell/pseuds/KyluxFicHell
Summary: “Your dad is dying, Billy. Are you really telling me you don’t want to visit him in his final days to say goodbye?”“I visit him every Christmas. And I pay a shitload of money for him to be taken care of in a fancy home; that’s more than he deserves-““I know, I know he’s been an asshole, but he’s your father.”“-if it were up to me he’d be on the streets. I wanted nothing to do with him after the way he treated you back in Hawkins. I don’t even care anymore that he used to beat the shit out of me, but I’ll never forgive him for laying his hands on you.”Or: In 2017, Steve persuades Billy to drive from California to Hawkins to visit a dying Neil Hargrove one last time.





	1. Chapter 1

“Hello?” Steve cradles the phone on his shoulder as he continues chopping carrots.

“Hello.” A female voice. “Is this William Hargrove?”

“No, that’s my husband. He’s not home at the moment. Can I take a message?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir. My name’s Beryl, I’m calling from Moorside Care Home.”

Steve pauses chopping and wipes his hands on a dishcloth. “This is about Neil?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so, sir. Mr Hargrove has been...more unwell than usual lately.”

“Oh?”

They very rarely receive calls from the care home, and when they do, Billy tends to switch off for a while if he’s the one to answer them, giving one word responses and vacant stares until Steve can distract him with Netflix and some popcorn.

“The doctor came to see Mr Hargrove yesterday,” the voice continues. “I’m afraid it looks as though he doesn’t have long left at all.” A pause. “I’m so sorry.”

Steve freezes for a moment. He’s not sure what he was expecting to hear, but it wasn’t that. Even though Neil had been so ill for so long, the possibility of him dying was something that Billy and Steve hadn’t even talked about. It had always been as if they assumed that Neil Hargrove was going to be a permanent presence in their lives, no matter how far away he was. A permanent responsibility that Billy never wanted, but fulfilled anyway as a dutiful son.

“Sir?” The voice prompts.

“Ok.” Steve runs a hand through his hair, not really sure what to say. “I guess...we just never thought it would happen this soon. How long do you think he has left?”

“It’s hard to say.” The voice on the other end of the phone is hesitant. “It can vary greatly, but with dementia this advanced, we think it’s likely to be weeks.”

“ _Weeks_?” Steve echoes, flabbergasted. “My sister-in-law visited him last week, and she said he seemed a lot better. He even remembered her name.”

Max had even told Steve over the phone that Neil had asked about Billy. ( _Is my faggot son too busy to visit today_ , are the exact words he’d used, but Steve didn’t tell Billy that).

“Sometimes we see cases where our residents do get a little better before their condition declines again.” The voice is soft and sympathetic.

Steve bites his lip. “Right. Ok. Um. Well, thanks for calling. I’ll talk to my husband and we’ll arrange a visit.”

“Thank you for your time, sir. Once again, I’m terribly sorry.”

Steve hangs up the phone and throws the dishcloth down on the counter.

“Shit.”

*****

Billy gets home a little later than usual that night. Every other Thursday on his way home from work he picks up their son, David, from his algebra tutoring. Steve likes Thursday nights because most nights he’ll come home from work to find David holed up in his room doing homework, and Billy will get home about an hour later. On Thursdays though, Steve gets to see both his boys come home together.

“Hey, dad,” David calls from the hallway as the front door closes, and there’s a quiet _thud_ as David dumps his backpack by the door and toes off his shoes. Steve can also hear Billy’s keys jangling as he throws them in the bowl by the door.

“Something smells good.” David appears in the doorway with a grin on his face, stretching his muscled arms over his head.

He’d always taken after Billy in that respect, with well defined biceps and thick thighs in contrast to Steve’s skinny awkwardness. Steve thinks it’s because David enjoys weight lifting and is a lot better at basketball than Steve ever was. It’s always excruciatingly embarrassing when Steve gets his ass kicked during every family basketball game in the back yard, even when he and Billy are on the same team against their son.

“Plant your feet,” Billy always says to Steve with a smile, whenever he loses the ball to their seventeen year old.

Steve ruffles his son’s hair when David comes over to peer in the frying pan. “How was tutoring, bud?”

David pulls a face. “Boring. Again. I thought I only had to go for two months? It’s been _four_.”

“You wanna go to Princeton next year or not?” Billy appears in the kitchen doorway, jacket slung over his shoulder. Even after knowing him for over thirty years, Steve still thinks he looks like a rock star.

“Sure I do, Pop,” David replies with a roll of his eyes. “But it doesn’t make the algebra suck any less.”

He’s gone through a late growth spurt recently, and now he practically towers above Steve. He looks more grown up every day, and despite needing extra algebra classes, he’s a bright kid. Certainly brighter than Billy or Steve had ever been in their senior year.

“Less of the attitude, kid,” Billy says warningly, tossing his jacket onto a chair and padding over to the stove to give Steve a hello kiss. “Hey there, Princess.”

“Hey,” Steve replies with smile. Even after over three decades together as a couple, and nearly twenty years of marriage, Billy still has the ability to make Steve’s heart flutter with that particular endearment.

“I need to talk to you,” Steve says quickly, eyes darting over towards their son and ignoring the retching sounds he’s making. “In private.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going.” David grabs an apple from the fruit bowl and backs out of the room. “I’ll leave you two to make out on the kitchen table or whatever it is you guys do when I’m not around.”

“That was one time!” Steve calls after David as Billy laughs.

When they’re alone, Steve bites his lip and urges Billy to sit down.

“What’s got you all flustered then?” Billy asks with an amused smile as he takes a seat. “I’m starting to think you _don’t_ want to make out on the kitchen table.”

Steve doesn’t bother beating around the bush. “I got a call from the care home today.”

Billy’s expression shifts instantly and becomes devoid of humour. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Steve swallows. “Your dad is dying.”

Billy remains silent for a moment, his face falling into a frown, as if he can’t quite process what he’s just been told.

“My dad’s been dying for a long time,” he eventually says. “He has dementia.”

“They think he’s near the end though,” Steve says sadly. “They think he only has a few weeks left.”

Billy’s adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Max saw him the other week. She said she thought he seemed _better_ -“

“His condition is declining.” Steve sits down next to Billy and places his hand on his husband’s in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. “He’s been so ill for so long it was only a matter of time. Anyway, I told the carer that we’d make arrangements to come and see him as soon as possible.”

Billy’s frown shifts into something more dangerous and he pulls his hand away. “You told the carer _what_?”

Steve sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s really not prepared to have this argument again, but he knows if they don’t, Billy will end up doing something (or _not_ doing something) he’ll regret.

“Your dad is dying, Billy. Are you really telling me you don’t want to visit him in his final days to say goodbye?”

“I visit him every Christmas. And I pay a shitload of money for him to be taken care of in a fancy home; that’s more than he deserves-“

“I _know_ , I know he’s been an asshole, but he’s your _father_.”

“-if it were up to me he’d be on the streets. I wanted nothing to do with him after the way he treated you back in Hawkins. I don’t even care anymore that he used to beat the shit out of me, but I’ll never forgive him for laying his hands on you.”

Steve shivers at the memory of the night Neil Hargrove found them in the back of Billy’s car. He received the second worst beating of his life that night, and the only reason it hadn’t been worse was because Billy was there to defend him.

“And the fucker never even _apologised_ ,” Billy continues, slamming his fist on the kitchen table, more closely resembling the Billy that Steve met over thirty years ago. “You convinced me to make sure he was taken care of when he started getting sick, and he knew it was because of you that he was in such a nice place, and he was still so fucking _disrespectful_ towards you.”

“Billy,” Steve pleads. “This is your last chance with him. If it’s a waste of time, it’s a waste of time. But what if you don’t go and you spend the rest of your life wondering if you should have been there, and what might have happened if you were?”

A muscle in Billy’s cheek twitches. “I need a cigarette.”

“No, c’mon. You’ve been so good.”

Billy fumbles in his pockets and curses when he remembers that he threw all his packets away to aid his latest quitting attempt. He pulls out a pack of nicotine gum instead and shoves a piece angrily into his mouth.

They sit in silence for a few moments and Steve doesn’t say anything, knowing that in these situations it’s better just to give his husband time to think.

“If we do this,” Billy says as he chews his gum, “we’ll have to take at least a week off work. Probably two.”

“I know. I’m sure everyone at work will be sympathetic.”

It will take them days to drive from San Diego to Hawkins, and Steve isn’t looking forward to a road trip with a grumpy Billy, but Billy hates flying and if that’s what it takes to get his husband to do the right thing then so be it.

“David isn’t coming with us,” Billy says firmly. “I’m not letting him anywhere near that asshole.”

“Shouldn’t we leave that up to him? What if he wants to say goodbye to his grandfather?”

“David never even _knew_ him, Steve. They met once when David was a baby and my dad made it clear he wasn’t interested. Besides, I don’t wanna pull David out of school for a couple of weeks so late in the year; he’s got more important things to worry about.”

“You’re right,” Steve sighs, thinking of the college applications that their son had been working so hard on. “Ok, David stays here.”

“And we’re staying in a hotel when we get to Hawkins. I’m not spending another night at the Hendersons’ house.”

“Dustin will be crushed, but I think I can live with that.”

“I don’t think I can eat another one of his wife’s homemade lasagnas. What’s her name again? Sarah? Sabrina?”

“ _Shirley_ ,” Steve corrects. “And be nice. You know that even if we don’t stay with them, we’ll have to visit.”

“Yeah yeah,” Billy mumbles, fidgeting with his wedding ring. “Fine. I’ll talk to work tomorrow, and then let’s just go so we can get back.”

“Ok,” Steve says softly. He leans forward and places a kiss on his husband’s jaw. “Let me know if you want to talk about it.”

Later that evening, when Billy is on the phone to Max to explain their plans, Steve drops a quick text to Dustin.

_We’re going to be in Hawkins for a few days later this week. We’ll drop by and say hi?_

He swears he’s barely finished typing before a response pings onto the screen.

_Awesome!!! I’ll tell Shirley to get the spare room ready. Can’t wait to see u guys :)_

Steve smiles and quickly types a response.

_Thanks man, but we’re staying in a hotel. Billy’s dad isn’t doing so well so this might be the last time we visit him_

Another ping.

_Shit...sorry to hear that. Well u r always welcome here and I know the kids will be really excited to see you, it’s been too long_

_I’m excited to see them too, I’m sure they’ve grown loads since I last saw them. California is great but I do miss everyone in Hawkins sometimes_

_Is David coming?_

_No, he’s got college applications and stuff at school he needs to focus on_

_Ok, fair enough. Well let me know your plans and I’ll let the gang know u r coming. Take care of yourself Steve_

“-Shit, Max, I don’t know, we’ll figure it out when we get there!” Billy’s voice filters through from the living room. “Just tell him we’re coming. I don’t want him to have a heart attack or something when he sees us.”

Steve types out one last message to Dustin as he listens to Billy finishing up his conversation.

_You take care too buddy. See you in a few days, can’t wait to catch up_

Later that night, when they’re both lying in bed, Billy rolls towards Steve to wrap an arm around his husband’s waist.

“I don’t think,” Billy says (and Steve can tell from the thickness of his voice that his eyes are probably wet with tears), “that he’ll want to see me.”

“You don’t know that.” Steve strokes Billy’s arm- a gesture that always calms him down when he’s angry or upset.

Billy doesn’t say anything else and within minutes the soft sound of his snoring fills the room.

Steve knows he’s convinced his husband to do the right thing, but secretly he’s terrified of what will happen once they get to Hawkins. Now more than ever, he desperately needs to see his old friends.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

“The freezer is stocked up with pizza. I also bought some fresh broccoli this morning; it’s on the top shelf of the fridge. _Please_ make sure you eat at least _some_ vegetables.”

Steve scribbles some instructions for one or two basic meals down on a notepad, despite the fact he knows that David has always been a very good cook.

“I will,” David replies, not looking up from his phone.

“I’ll write down Mrs Reed’s number as well. She’s just across the street so if you need anything, give her a call.”

“I’ll be fine, dad. I’m nearly eighteen; I can take care of myself for a few days.”

“And make sure you remember to take out the trash. I don’t want to come back to find my house overflowing with trash.”

“Dad.”

“And remember, if there are any problems, anything at all, just text or call me or your father-“

“ _Dad_ -“

“I’ll write down Aunt Max’s number too in case you can’t get hold of us in Hawkins-“

“Dad, _stop_. I’ll be fine, ok?”

Steve pauses his frantic scribbling to look at his son, who is giving him an amused smile. He forgets how grown up David is sometimes, but this will be the first time they’ve left him alone for more than a couple of nights. Sometimes Steve still sees David as the chubby toddler who used to sit in his lap and clap his hands and giggle when Steve sang nursery rhymes to him, or the eight year old with the toothy grin who would squeal with delight when Billy chased him round the back yard and swung him round until he was so dizzy he’d be sick.

“Ok, I’m sorry.” Steve gives a weak smile. “I just want to make sure you’ll be ok.”

David smiles back and shoves his phone in his pocket, before walking over to wrap Steve in a hug. Steve can remember when David used to struggle to wrap both his tiny arms around Steve’s waist as he stood on his toes, but now he could probably lift Steve off his feet if he wanted to. He’s big and warm and solid, like Billy.

“Will you be ok?” David asks as he breaks the hug, a concerned look on his face. “I know this is gonna be a tough trip for you guys.”

Steve pats his son on the shoulder. “I’ll be fine, bud.”

“What about Pop?” David casts a worried glance out the living room window to where Billy is busy packing bags into the back of the car. There’s a cigarette dangling from between his lips; he’d broken down early this morning and bought a pack from the convenience store, despite Steve’s protests.

“I don’t know,” Steve answers honestly. “There’s a lot of bad memories for him in Hawkins. And I think he’s nervous, y’know?”

David nods, eyes still fixed on Billy, who finishes loading the car and stubs out his cigarette, before calling into the house.

“Steve! Let’s get this show on the road.”

David comes outside with Steve to say goodbye and gives him another hug, before giving Billy a hug as well.

“Take it easy, Pop,” David says. “Say hi to Aunt Max for me.”

“Behave yourself, kiddo,” Billy replies. “I don’t want any high school parties in my house while we’re away, y’hear?”

“Yeah yeah.” David rolls his eyes. “No parties, I got it. Now you’d better get going before Dustin starts texting me to ask when you guys are gonna get to Hawkins.”

Billy and Steve slide into the front of the car, and Steve keeps his eyes fixed on their son as Billy backs out of the driveway.

David smiles and gives them a wave, and Steve gives a wave back, keeping his eyes on David as they drive off down the street, the figure of their son becoming smaller and smaller until he disappears completely.

*****

It’s been a long time since Billy and Steve have been on a proper road trip together.

Before David was born they would go on long drives in Billy’s Camaro, occasionally stoping to stay the night in Chicago or in an out of town motel they stumbled across. Billy in particular had loved driving away from Hawkins (away from _Neil_ ), and he always seemed a little deflated when it was time for them to go back.

After they moved to San Diego, Billy would drive them across California at the weekends, eager to show Steve his favorite spots in the state where he grew up. He had shown Steve the delights of LA, and San Francisco, and they’d even driven to Las Vegas one time. To Steve it had all seemed so exotic at the time; a far cry from his childhood in Indiana.

Billy drums his fingers against the steering wheel when Beyoncé comes on the radio, humming along to _Crazy in Love_ under his breath. There’s certain kinds of music that Billy will never willingly admit to liking, but when he’s driving he has a tendency to forget that he’s not alone.

“Something funny, Princess?”

Billy’s question interrupts Steve’s thoughts, and Steve just smiles wider and pushes his sunglasses further up his nose.

“Nah. I was just thinking about all the road trips we used to take in the Camaro when we first moved to California.”

“Oh yeah. Man, I loved that Camaro.” Billy smiles at the memory.

Steve had persuaded Billy to sell the Camaro when David was born, insisting that it wasn’t a suitable car for driving a baby round. Billy had been hesitant but eventually caved in, agreeing that they needed something more appropriate for a young family. They’d bought a Volvo instead, and Dustin had laughed when he came to visit and Steve picked him up from the airport in it. _You finally got a Soccer Mom car,_ he’d said.

“Remember the Volvo?” Steve asks Billy with a smile.

“That piece of shit? God, I hated that thing. I mean it was great for David and you looked great driving it, but I felt like a real tool every time I was behind the wheel.”

“We had some good times in the Volvo,” Steve says defensively (because yeah, maybe he secretly loved that car). “Remember the first vacation we took with David? All the way up the West coast?”

“If I recall that trip correctly, you had to sit in the back with David most of the time because he kept puking.”

Steve has very vivid memories from that trip; he remembers taking David to the beach and his heart going numb when they realised their son had disappeared. He remembers watching with horror when they spotted David waddling across the sand towards the ocean at such a pace that Billy struggled to catch up with him as he darted between families and sun-bathing couples, sending parasols flying and accidentally knocking one kid’s ice cream out of his hands. David had been too young to understand the worry he’d caused, and had simply laughed and clapped his chubby hands together when Billy returned him to Steve’s arms.

“That kid was always a menace,” Steve says with a laugh. He turns to glance at the back seat, where David would usually sit with his headphones stuffed in his ears and his head pressed against the window as he slept.

“It’s weird him not being here, huh?” Billy says, clearly reading Steve’s mind.

“Yeah.” Steve swallows, his voice a little thick. He knows it’s stupid, but he misses their son already, and every mile further they get from San Diego makes him feel a little more numb.

“Hey.” Billy’s voice is soft as he removes one hand from the steering wheel to reach over and caress Steve’s neck, eyes still fixed on the road. “It’s ok; I miss him too. But you know we did the right thing leaving him behind.”

“I know.” Steve leans into the touch, and his skin feels cold when Billy removes his hand. “I just miss him so much already. Jesus, I know it’s stupid, we’ve only been gone a few hours.”

“It’s not stupid, Steve. One of the reasons I love you is because of your _mom instincts_ -“

Steve shoots Billy a look at that, but his husband ignores him and continues.

“-even before we had David, you were running around after kids, making sure they were where they needed to be and making them happy and shit. Used to be so hot seeing you driving round with a gang of kids in your car, being all bossy and supportive.”

Steve blushes and is glad he’s wearing sunglasses. “Hot?”

“Hell yeah.” Billy glances at him very briefly, peering over his sunglasses to give Steve a wink and do _that thing_ with his tongue that Steve has always found incredibly hot.

The mention of the kids in Hawkins reminds Steve of where they’re going and why, and he finds himself feeling nervous at the thought of seeing everyone again. It’s been over two years since he last went back, and although he speaks to Dustin and Max regularly, he feels out of the loop and worried that he’s going back to something he won’t recognise anymore. He’s not sure if Billy feels the same way, as he’d never felt the same kind of attachment to Hawkins that Steve had.

Steve slumps in his seat. He can’t help but feel as though being halfway between two homes can be a very lonely place to be.

*****

It takes them a few days to drive to Hawkins, and they stay in a motel each night to break up the journey.

Usually when they’d stay somewhere without David, Billy would be keen to utilise their alone time together. He’d once arranged for them to stay in a hotel for their wedding anniversary, and they’d barely walked through the door of their room before he was peeling Steve’s clothes off. Sex was still a regular part of their lives when they were at home too, but they had to be a little more careful and a little more inhibited to avoid waking David (which apparently, according to David, they had done several times).

Billy makes no move to initiate anything here though, and Steve can tell that he’s distracted as he watches his husband sit on the bed and chew nicotine gum, his thoughts probably far away in Hawkins.

Steve can also tell that Billy doesn’t sleep particularly well. The sound of snoring is usually a good indication that Billy is having an undisturbed night’s sleep, but each night the room remains eerily silent.

The morning of the final leg of their journey to Hawkins, they speak to David over FaceTime.

“It was a tough game,” David tells them excitedly as he recounts his latest gym class basketball match, his eyes shining with enthusiasm on Billy’s phone screen. “But coach said my technique was flawless.”

“Way to go, kiddo,” Billy says proudly. “You get your basketball skills from me, obviously, since your dad always sucked.”

“That’s awesome, bud,” Steve says with a smile, giving Billy a playful shove and ignoring his last comment. “Listen, before I forget, we’re about two hours away from Hawkins, so I’ll text you when we get there with the details of our hotel.”

“Sure thing, Steve,” David yawns.

“Hey,” Billy says quickly, not harshly, but still unamused. “A little respect, huh?”

“Sorry, Pop. Sorry, dad. Hey make sure you send me some photos yeah? And try and get Aunt Max or someone to take some photos of the two of you, because both of you _suck_ at taking selfies-“

“Ok, ok,” Billy laughs. “Listen, we’ve gotta hit the road, but take care of yourself, yeah? And call us if there are any problems?”

“Sure, Pop. You guys get going. Safe journey, love you both.”

“Love you, too,” Steve says in unison with his husband.

Billy disconnects the call and David’s face disappears, leaving behind Billy’s usual home screen- a photo he’d taken of Steve and David at the Grand Canyon earlier in the year. David is flashing a peace sign with one hand, and his other arm is wrapped around Steve’s shoulders. Steve is laughing, his face turned shyly away from the camera towards his son.

It’s a great photo, but it makes Steve’s heart ache.

*****

When they eventually reach the outskirts of Hawkins, Billy gets quieter and his fingers twitch against the steering wheel, clearly itching for a cigarette.

Steve tries to distract him by pointing out various landmarks that are significant to the two of them- _there’s the movie theatre where we had our first proper date, there’s the convenience store where you threw up after one too many beers, remember when we watched that meteor shower on that bench in the park-_

But Billy doesn’t seem to be taking much of it in, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead.

When they arrive at the hotel in the centre of town, Billy wrinkles his nose when he steps out the car and stretches.

“This place still smells like shit.”

They bundle their luggage up to the hotel room, and Steve quickly texts David with the name and number of the hotel while Billy phones Max. He also types out a message to Dustin.

_Hey D- we’ve just arrived in Hawkins. Will let you know the plan later. Can’t wait to see you, I think Billy is quite upset :(_

“Ok, here’s the plan,” Billy says when he hangs up the phone, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips (which Steve promptly removes and throws in the trash). “We’ll pick up Max in an hour and drive to the care home. We’ll spend the afternoon with my dad, and we can go see Dustin or whoever the hell you wanna see tomorrow. Then we can get the hell out of this town.”

Steve nods in agreement, wondering if he should drop a quick text to Nancy and Jonathan, but realises that Dustin’s probably already told them about the planned visit.

As per Billy’s plan, they pick up Max an hour later from her house.

She throws herself into the backseat of the car, and Steve only registers a flash of fiery red as she leans forward to wrap her arms around Billy in the driver’s seat, pressing a loud, wet kiss to the back of his head.

“What the _hell_ , Max,” Billy complains, but his voice is more playful than annoyed.

“It’s good to see you too, Billy,” Max replies, meeting her step-brother’s eyes in the rear view mirror and poking out her tongue.

“Hey, Max,” Steve says, reaching over to give Max an awkward hug.

“Hey, Steve.” She squeezes him gently. “It’s good to see you again. You look great.”

She gives Billy a suspicious look as she leans back in her seat. “I hope my brother hasn’t made the last few days too unbearable for you.”

“He’s been fine,” Steve replies as Billy scoffs. “Is Lucas not coming with us?”

“He had to work today,” Max shrugs.

Steve and Max chat quietly as they drive to the care home, while Billy remains mostly silent, an unreadable expression on his face.

Max babbles happily about Lucas’s recent promotion and how they’re thinking of moving to a bigger place, about how their kids are doing at school and their vacation to Mexico in the summer. She asks how they’ve both been, how David is getting on with his college applications, what the weather’s been like in San Diego.

Steve tells her about David’s last basketball game that he and Billy went to watch, and how Billy had cried when David scored the winning point (Max laughs at that, and Billy blushes furiously). He tells her about how Billy is doing really well at work ever since he stepped up into management (and Billy blushes even harder at that), and about how their new neighbours have this dog that barks into the night and drives them crazy.

They lose themselves in the conversation, and before they know it, they’re pulling up in front of the care home.

Billy switches off the engine once they’ve parked, but makes no move to get out of his seat.

“Billy,” Steve says softly, placing a hand on his husband’s arm as he used to do so often when Billy was about to have one of his episodes. “ _Honey_.”

Billy responds to that rarely used endearment, and jerks slightly as if he’s just noticed that he’s not alone in the car.

“It’s ok,” Max says reassuringly from the backseat. “We can take all the time you need.”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Billy mumbles dejectedly.

“Hey,” Steve says firmly, lacing their fingers together. “Look at me. You had a shitty childhood, but think of everything you’ve achieved. You moved to California, found yourself work, and raised an awesome family. I don’t wanna hear a word about what you _can’t_ do.”

The corner of Billy’s mouth turns up slightly. “Yeah, I guess I’ve done ok.”

“You’ve done _so_ well,” Max says softly. “When I first met you, I never imagined you’d be able to hold down a good job, or buy a house, or support a family, or do anything worthwhile-“

“Hey,” Billy says defensively, eyes narrowing.

“- _But_ ,” Max continues, ignoring him, “I was wrong about you. You managed to man up and change because you knew there was stuff you wanted to achieve and you went and did it. And if Neil can’t see that, then that’s _his_ problem.”

“God, you guys are fucking sappy,” Billy scoffs, but there’s a smile on his face now. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Steve only hopes that Billy maintains the same level of composure once he comes face to face with his father again. He glances at Max as they exit the car, and he can tell from the look on her face that she’s thinking exactly the same thing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all those of you who’ve subscribed and left such lovely comments. I hope I’m continuing to do the story justice.
> 
> Please do let me know what you think and if there’s anything you’d like to see in future chapters. I also welcome questions!


	3. Chapter 3

Steve finds himself wrinkling his nose. The care home has a strong odour of disinfectant, as if the floors have been scrubbed ten times already that day.

There’s an odour of something else as well, and as Steve looks around at the glassy eyes and vacant expressions and weathered faces, he wonders if it’s sadness, or death. _Or guilt_ , he thinks, when he sees families gathered around patients in the communal area they pass through.

There are three visitor’s badges waiting for them at reception, laid out across the desk in preparation for their arrival, each of them with a name printed on the front:

_William Hargrove_  
_Steven Hargrove_  
_Maxine Sinclair_

Steve takes the one with his own name on it and pins it to the front of his shirt, before taking Billy’s badge as well and fixing it onto his husband’s jacket. Billy mutters his thanks, but he’s not really paying attention, distracted by an elderly man shuffling slowly across the corridor, assisted by his two sons.

They follow Max to Neil’s room in silence, and Steve clings to Billy’s arm reassuringly.

“It’ll be fine,” Steve whispers in Billy’s ear just as they’re about to go in. “And I’ll be right here.” He kisses the skin below Billy’s ear and pats his arm.

The first thing Steve notices when they enter is that the room is a lot barer than the other rooms they passed down the corridor. There are no photographs on the cabinets, no gift baskets lining the chest of drawers, no drawings from grandchildren pinned to the walls. There’s a lone vase of withered flowers on the nightstand next to the bed, which Steve suspects Max placed there on her last visit.

Neil Hargrove is sat in a chair in the corner in front of a small, flat screen TV, watching some kind of game show. He’s wearing an oversized dressing gown and a pair of slippers, and he doesn’t look away from the TV when his visitors enter the room. Steve hasn’t seen Neil in over a year, but he looks even more grey and frail than he had during their last visit. He’s a far cry from the man who could once throw Billy halfway across the room, or hold Steve down and pound him into unconsciousness.

“Hi Neil,” Max says, breaking the silence after sensing the obvious tension in the room. “How are you today?” She walks over to crouch beside Neil’s chair, placing one hand on his arm.

Neil peels his eyes away from the TV to give Max a confused look, as if he can’t quite work out how she got there.

“I’m fine,” Neil replies quietly, his eyes searching her curiously. “Thank you. How are you?”

“I’m good,” Max replies. “Look who I’ve brought with me today.”

Neil turns his head slowly to look at the two men in his room, but his face shows no sign of recognition.

“It’s Billy and Steve,” Max continues, giving Neil’s arm a gentle shake, as if that will jolt his memory.

“Billy and Steve,” Neil parrots back, still no recognition in his voice.

Steve turns to Billy, who looks as though he’d rather be anywhere else in the world, and gives him a look that he hopes is encouraging.

Billy shuffles forward a few steps, his hands shoved into his pockets, looking the most uncomfortable Steve has ever seen him.

“Hey, Dad.” His voice is quiet, timid almost. “It’s me, Billy. Your son.”

The look of confusion returns to Neil’s face as he studies Billy intently. “I don’t have a son,” he croaks.

“Sure you do,” Max says quickly, patting Neil’s arm as if that will help. “Billy. You remember Billy? He lives in California.”

“California?” Neil’s eyes bore into Billy.

“Yes, California,” Max continues patiently. “He lives there with Steve.”

Neil’s eyes shift to focus on Steve for the first time. When Neil used to look at him, Steve would see something akin to annoyance, as if he were an insect not worth looking at, but now all he sees is a blank stare- no hatred, no recognition, _nothing_.

“Steve,” Neil says slowly, as if testing out the name on his tongue.

“That’s me,” Steve replies, forcing a smile.

“My son.”

“No, Steve’s not your son,” Max corrects. “He’s your _son-in-law_ , remember? He’s married to Billy.”

Neil frowns, disgust now replacing the confusion. “He’s a queer?”

A muscle in Billy’s cheek twitches.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Max scolds, as if talking to a very small child.

“I had a son once,” Neil says, ignoring Max. “He was a queer too. Ran away with the first faggot who batted his eyelashes at him.”

“Fuck this,” Billy spits, venom in his eyes. “I don’t know why I thought you might have changed, old man. Even when you’re riddled with dementia and on death’s door you’re just the same old asshole.”

“Billy,” Max says warningly, glaring at her brother.

“No, I don’t have to listen to this shit. This was a waste of time. He either doesn’t remember me or wants to spend his time insulting me and my husband.” Billy turns on his heel, ignoring Max’s protests. “C’mon, Steve. Let’s get outta here.”

Steve knows he should probably argue, but Neil’s words are still echoing in his head. _Queer. Faggot_. Insults said with the same conviction with which they were spat at him over thirty years ago. And it hurts just as much as it did then.

He’s disappointed that all it’s taken is a couple of minutes for them to realise that nothing has changed, that Billy is unlikely to get the closure with his father that he’s always wanted, even if he’s never admitted it. He allows Billy to take his hand and tug him towards the door, wondering why he was so stupid to think that this might be good for Billy, good for both of them.

“Wait,” Neil says as Billy pulls Steve towards the exit. “Please wait.”

Billy pauses, halting on the spot, but doesn’t turn back around to look at his father.

“You have to stay,” Neil says quickly, and he sounds broken, _panicked_ , as he reaches out towards his son.

“Yeah?” Billy sounds tired, defeated. “Why’s that, old man?”

“You have to save Steve.”

Theres a long pause before Billy finally turns, pure confusion on his face. “What?”

“You have to save Steve,” Neil repeats, leaning forward in his chair, arms gripping the arm rests as if he wants to get up but can’t. “You need to save him.”

Steve isn’t quite sure what to make of this bizarre phrasing. The carer who’d met them at the entrance had warned them that dementia can manifest itself in rapid changes of mood, but Neil seems to have gone from indifferent to terrified in mere seconds. There’s something very odd about this.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Billy stalks towards his father, a predatory look in his eyes as he crouches down in front of Neil, placing his hands on the arm rests and bracketing the old man in place.

“ _Billy_ ,” Max hisses. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

“Save Steve,” Neil says again desperately, his eyes wild as he looks pleadingly at Billy. It looks as though he’s frightened, and while Steve knows it’s probably just the ramblings of an old man with dementia, seeing him get so worked up makes Steve feel uneasy.

“What does that mean?” Billy asks through gritted teeth, gripping Neil’s arms, his face contorted in fury. “What the hell are you talking about, old man? Save Steve from _what_?”

Steve has to admit that there’s something incredibly eerie about the way Neil says his name, but he knows they have to be rational.

“Billy.” Steve grabs his husband’s arms and tries to pull him away. “Stop. He’s confused, he’s just talking garbage.”

“Save Steve from what?” Billy isn’t willing to drop it, and there’s rage in his eyes now. “From you? You want to hurt him?”

Neil’s lips twitch but no sound comes out, as if he’s too petrified to speak.

“Billy.”

Steve cups his husband’s face with both hands and urges Billy to look at him. Billy allows it, tearing his eyes from his father to look at Steve.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Steve says softly, as if it’s just the two of them. “He’s a sick old man and he’s just confused. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Billy closes his eyes, and he looks as though he’s blinking back tears. He relaxes his grip on Neil and leans into Steve, clearly upset.

“Can we just go?” Billy asks, voice thick. “Please.”

Steve glances at Max, who nods.

“Ok, sure.” Steve strokes Billy’s hair gently. “We can go.”

They don’t bother saying goodbye to Neil, who seems to have calmed down but is staring blankly at the wall at the other end of the room.

They drive back to the hotel in silence after they’ve dropped off Max. There’s uncomfortable tension in the car, and Steve can still feel the anger radiating off of Billy. More than ever Steve finds himself wishing that David was with them. He always has a way of breaking the tension whenever his parents are having an argument, or lightening the mood if one of them has a bad day at work.

Steve sighs and leans back against the headrest. As he watches the landmarks of Hawkins speed past outside the window, he can only hope that visiting Dustin tomorrow will improve Billy’s mood and make this trip worthwhile.

*****

Later that evening, David Hargrove yawns and stretches in the Montgomery High School library in San Diego.

He’s proud of himself for being so disciplined; usually he’d skate home straight after school and lounge around playing video games, but tonight he’d been determined to be productive. The prospect of an empty house and the possibility of having some of the guys from the basketball team over was tempting, but he has an algebra test next week, and he’s desperate not to have to continue the extra classes he’s been having.

The guy sitting opposite him lets out a loud sneeze and then blows his nose loudly, reminding David that it’s getting late and he’d rather not catch a cold right before taking such a crucial test. David starts to gather his books as he listens to the guy opposite him begin to cough violently. If he doesn’t get ill after sitting across from this guy all evening, it’ll be a miracle.

“You should think about going home, man,” David says sympathetically as he shoulders his backpack. “Sounds like a rough cold you’ve got there.”

The guy looks up and gives a weak smile, his cheeks red with the beginnings of a fever.

“Yeah,” he says in a thick voice, “I’m gonna get going in a sec.”

David gives a smile, satisfied that he’s been a Good Samaritan, and checks his phone quickly for any messages from his parents. He’s just about to shove his headphones in his ears when a hand grabs his wrist as he tries to leave.

The guy with the cold is gripping on to him, his eyes wide and his face ghostly white.

“Jesus, are you ok?” David is starting to feel a little freaked out.

The guy is muttering something under his breath so quietly that David can barely hear him, and he looks pained, as if he’s fighting the words that are coming out of his mouth.

David leans closer so he can hear what the guy is trying to say to him, and his heart almost stops when he can finally make sense of the words.

“Save Steve.”

David feels a mixture of confusion and panic settle in his chest. He immediately thinks of his dad, and wonders whether the guy knows the significance of that name to David. _What a weird fucking thing to say._

“What?” David leans a little closer.

“You have to save Steve,” the guy pleads, almost begs, his grip on David’s arm tight as he looks at him with imploring eyes.

“I don’t understand,” David replies numbly. “What do you mean? Why are you saying that name?”

“Save Steve.” Louder this time. More desperate.

“Why are you saying that name?” David demands angrily, grabbing fistfuls of the guy’s jacket.

“Please.” A whimper, almost a sob. “ _You’re letting him die_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to everyone who’s read this so far and left such wonderful commments. Please continue to leave feedback, comments, questions etc!
> 
> I can promise you this fic will remain very fluffy but I’m hoping people will enjoy the element of mystery that will now be a part of the next few chapters...
> 
> Feel free to come on over to my tumblr and say hi- you can find me on my Harringrove Fic Hell blog or my Kylux Fic Hell blog.


	4. Chapter 4

 

Billy rolls over for what feels like the fifteenth time that night and sighs into his pillow.

At Steve’s insistence, he’d attempted to forget about his father’s mad ramblings earlier that day, but he found that no matter how hard he tried to push those words out of his mind, it was as if they were burned right into his brain. He hears them every time he closes his eyes and sees Neil’s terrified face in front of him.

_Save Steve._

Billy knows that Neil is sick, that he’s so near the end that his own mind probably doesn’t make much sense to him anymore. Billy knows that it probably doesn’t mean anything; his father can barely remember who he is and has trouble stringing together a basic coherent thought.

But still.

There’s something eerie about this, something that gives Billy the heebie jeebies. The way Neil had looked at him, desperate, pleading, with such terror in his eyes...

_Save Steve._

Billy shifts to look at his sleeping husband next to him. He looks peaceful and untroubled, as if today’s events weren’t just a little bit fucking creepy. Billy brushes his fingers gently through Steve’s hair, careful not to wake him, marvelling at how this man is still willing to sleep next to him every night after over thirty years together. Billy had never felt as though he deserved Steve, and every day he’s thankful for this incredible person who’s shown him that he _is_ worth a damn.

Billy would die if anything happened to Steve.

He’s jolted from his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing. Billy scrambles to grab it from the nightstand, afraid that it might wake Steve, and frowns when he sees David’s number appear on the screen, alongside a photo of his son from their vacation to New York last year. Billy slips out of bed and into the bathroom, careful not to disturb his husband, and swipes his thumb across the screen to accept the call.

“David?”

“Pop, thank God. I’ve been trying to call Dad’s phone but he’s not picking up.”

“His battery died,” Billy says, running a hand tiredly through his hair. “You ok, kiddo?”

“Is Dad ok?” David sounds worried, panicked almost.

“Yeah.” The eerie feeling from earlier returns to the pit of Billy’s stomach. “He’s fine. He’s just sleeping.”

Billy cracks open the bathroom door to check that the silhouette of his husband’s form is still there.

“He’s been fine today?” David babbles. “He hasn’t felt sick or anything?”

“No.” The anxiety knots a little tighter in Billy’s stomach. “He’s been fine. Why?”

“It’s just...” A pause on the other end of the phone. “Nothing. It’s stupid.”

“What? What is it?” Billy can hear the anxiety in his son’s voice and it’s making him anxious too. “You can tell me.”

“It’s really stupid, Pop. It’s nothing.”

“David,” Billy implores. “ _Please_. Talk to me.”

Billy had never really been very good at having open heart to hearts with his son; that had always been Steve’s forte. Steve had been the one to have _The Talk_ with David, and answered questions about hormones and wet dreams and all that crap. Billy had always found those sorts of conversations incredibly uncomfortable. He thinks it’s because he never had a decent role model who encouraged him to talk about that shit.

“There was this guy,” David says slowly, “in the school library. He said something to me that kinda freaked me out. Honestly, Pop, it’s crazy-“

“What did he say?” Billy demands, feeling his heart constrict in his chest.

“He just kept mumbling _save Steve_ over and over.”

Billy nearly drops the phone. Hearing those words makes him think of his father’s terrified face and his stomach churns.

“I know it’s crazy,” David almost sobs, “he was sick and was probably talking shit, and I know he can’t have been talking about dad, but I just heard that name and it freaked me out, and he said I was _letting him die_.”

“David,” Billy says, his voice thick and his blood cold. “Who said this to you?”

“I don’t know, some guy,” David chokes. “Some guy from my school, I don’t even know his name. What do you think it means, Pop?”

Billy swallows. “I don’t know. But it’s probably nothing,” he lies. He doesn’t want to worry his son.

“I know,” David sniffs. “I know I’m being stupid. It just upset me a bit. I guess it made me feel worse because I miss you guys so much.”

“Hey, you’re not being stupid, David. And we really miss you too.” Billy tries to keep his voice from cracking, imagining David all alone in their house back in California. “Listen, I’ll get Dad to give you a call when he wakes up tomorrow, yeah? So you can talk to him yourself and make sure he’s ok.”

“Ok.” David’s voice sounds small, unsure.

“Love you, kid.”

“Love you too, Pop. Just...keep an eye on dad for me, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Billy agrees. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Later, when he slides back into bed, Billy pulls Steve close to him, just to feel his husband’s heart beating against his own. Steve shifts a little and blinks up at him with tired eyes.

“Whassa matter?” Steve yawns.

“Nothing, baby,” Billy says gently as he kisses Steve’s hair. “Everything’s fine.”

It’s the second time that night that he’s lied to someone he loves.

*****

Steve calls David the next day as they’re driving over to Dustin’s, and they’re on the phone to each other for nearly the whole twenty minute drive.

“What are you having for dinner tonight?” Steve is asking as they pull up in front of the Henderson’s house. “Please tell me there’s going to be something green on your plate.”

There’s a moment of silence while David answers before Steve bursts out laughing.

“Yeah, yeah. You know I know you’re lying, right?” Steve says with a smile. “Uh huh. Love you too, bud. See you soon.”

It doesn’t sound as though David has mentioned the whole _save Steve_ saga, which Billy is relieved about, because he doesn’t want Steve freaking out right now. He needs to talk to someone who can tell him what the hell is going on before he even thinks about worrying his husband.

When they ring the door bell, it’s Dustin’s wife who greets them with a broad smile and red cheeks. She’s small and slightly plump with curly hair oddly like her husband’s, but her eyes are warm and kind.

“Hey there, uh,” Billy says, his mind going blank.

“ _Shirley_ ,” Steve says with a smile, glaring at Billy as he leans in to hug the short woman in front of them. “How are you? It’s great to see you.”

“Hello Steve!” she squeals as she envelopes him in a crushing hug. “We’ve been so looking forward to seeing you again. And Bill too!”

She pulls Billy towards her by his shirt, giving him a loud, wet kiss on his cheek. “How are you, Bill?”

Billy had forgotten that Dustin’s wife is the only person in the world who calls him _Bill_ , and it drives him crazy.

“Hey,” he says with a forced grin. “How’re you doing?”

“We’re fine, we’re fine,” Shirley says excitedly, dragging them into the house. “Come inside, come say hello to everyone.”

Sure enough, they’re shoved into the living room where it seems the entire population of Hawkins has gathered to greet them.

Dustin is the first to descend on them, giving Billy an almost painful clap on the arm before literally sweeping Steve off his feet.

“Steve!” Dustin gives the biggest toothy grin and squeezes Steve so hard that he lets out a groan. “It’s so great to see you, man!”

Billy barely has a chance to register what’s happening before he’s ushered away and wedged between Nancy and Jonathan on the sofa. He shoots Steve a desperate look but Steve simply shrugs and laughs. Even though Steve’s friends have always tried to make Billy feel welcome and part of the group, he’s always felt like someone who’s never quite belonged. An outsider. It’s one of the reasons he’d been so desperate to move back to California, back to familiar territory.

He does a quick scan of the room and notices that Max and Lucas haven’t arrived yet, which is disappointing because Max would be the next logical person he would choose to talk to if Steve isn’t available.

The afternoon passes in a bit of a blur; Billy tries to listen as Nancy fills him in on how she’s looking for work again now that her children are older, and how she’s looking forward to Jonathan’s next photography exhibition. Billy nods politely and tries to answer her questions about California and David, but his attention is fixed on Steve, who is surrounded by Dustin, Will, Mike, and Jane, with one of Dustin’s small children seated in his lap.

_Save Steve._

“You drew this yourself?” Steve asks the child (whose name Billy always forgets) as a drawing is waved under his nose. “Wow, that’s fantastic!”

It reminds Billy of when David was small and would climb into Steve’s lap for a cuddle. Sometimes he misses having a small child; Billy remembers the days when he could chase David round the yard and jump on the bed with him when Steve wasn’t looking, but on the other hand he doesn’t think he’d have the energy for it now.

“It’s mommy and daddy,” the kid says proudly as he holds up his drawing, and Dustin reaches over to ruffle his son’s curls. “And I done another one of you, Uncle Steve. Look, here you are with Uncle Billy!”

“Wow,” Steve grins, turning the drawing so that Billy can see it from the other side of the room. There are two clumsily drawn stick figures which look very similar, but Billy tries his best to look impressed.

“Looks just like them!” Dustin laughs. “Looks almost like one of their wedding photos actually.”

“Wedding photos?” the kid says excitedly.

The mention of wedding photos has Shirley pulling out a thick album of photos from various weddings, including Billy and Steve’s, which she begins flicking through in front of everyone.

_Save Steve._

Billy uses the temporary distraction to head towards the one person he’s desperately wanted to talk to since he arrived.

“Jane?”

Jane turns from her conversation with Mike to give him a shy smile. She still has the same cute round face she’s had since childhood, although her thick shiny hair now falls past her shoulders in pretty ringlets.

“Hey, Billy,” she says cheerfully.

“Can I talk to you for a minute? In private.”

Jane gives Mike a kiss on the cheek before following Billy. He doesn’t really know where he’s going but he needs to get them somewhere quiet, so he leads her upstairs and ducks into the first bedroom he can find. There are toys scattered everywhere, so he’s guessing it belongs to one of Dustin’s kids.

“I need you to do something for me,” Billy says quietly after he’s shut the door behind them, not wanting anyone to realise where they’ve disappeared to. “I think Steve might be in danger.”

“Danger?” Jane frowns, crossing her arms over her chest. The sleeves of her striped sweater ride up slightly, revealing the _011_ tattoo on her left wrist. Of all of Steve’s friends, she’s always been one of Billy’s favorites. She says it how it is, no bullshit, and Billy has a lot of respect for that.

“Don’t ask me how I know,” Billy says. “I just need you to trust me.”

“Ok,” Jane replies. Her habit of giving one word replies hasn’t died over the years. “What do you need me to do?”

Billy runs a hand through his hair. “I need you to...Christ, I’m sorry. I need you to do your... _psychobabble_ thing.” He holds his hands up and wriggles his fingers in what he thinks is an eerie gesture, hoping she’ll understand.

Jane looks thoroughly confused.

“You know,” Billy says, irritated. “Where you can see people and their thoughts and what’s going on with them and shit. _The void._ Isn’t that what you used to call it?”

Jane’s face freezes. “No.”

Steve had told Billy about all the weird shit that had happened in Hawkins after they’d been going out for about a year. If it had been anyone other than Steve, Billy would have been convinced that it was all a load of bullshit. Max had told him about _demogorgons_ and _demodogs_ and the _Upside Down_ and how Steve had been so brave and kept them all safe, and Billy had almost passed out the first time he saw Jane slam a door shut with her mind from the other side of the room.

“ _Please_ ,” Billy begs. “Some weird shit is happening and I think Steve is in real danger. I need to find out how so I can try and stop it. You’re my best shot.”

Jane looks conflicted, pained. “I haven’t used my powers in a long time. It’s dangerous.”

“Can you do it?” Billy takes one of her hands in his own, desperate. “In theory? Could you go into this void place and see if anyone wants to hurt Steve?” He sniffs and looks away, ashamed of his weakness. “I can’t lose him.”

“I...” Jane looks helpless. “I suppose...but seriously, it’s dangerous. Every time I use my powers the gate gets weaker.”

“What gate?”

“The gate to the Upside Down.”

Billy remembers Steve telling him about what really happened when Will Byers went missing. He knows the Upside Down is a terrible place where terrible things live, and that Jane had managed to close the gate to this nightmarish world back in the 80’s.

“I don’t know why,” Jane says, tears in her eyes. “But whenever I used my powers after I closed the gate, I could feel it getting weaker. It’s like I’m connected to the Upside Down somehow, and every time I use my powers it feels like the gate crumbles away a little. It’s just safer if I don’t use my powers at all.”

“Please, Jane.” Billy can tell that she’s distressed but he’s desperate. “This is Steve we’re talking about. _Steve_.”

He’s hoping she’ll think of all the times Steve used to take the Party out for pizza, or drove them to school, or went clothes shopping with Jane when Hopper had to work.

She chews her lip for a second before meeting his eyes.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Ok. I’ll take you to the void. But we can’t stay long. A few minutes at most. The longer we stay, the weaker the gate gets. We get in, we get out.”

Billy knows it’s selfish but he hasn’t got time to think about her warning now. He needs to save Steve.

Jane looks around the room and spots a couple of small t-shirts lying on the bed.

“I’ll need your help,” she says as she grabs one of the t-shirts and ties it around Billy’s head, covering his eyes to create a makeshift blindfold. “You know Steve better than I do.”

“Ok.” Billy swallows. All he can see is the faint light from the window filtering through the material of the t-shirt as he hears Jane tie her own blindfold in place.

“It’s ok,” Jane says softly, taking his hand and guiding him to sit on the floor. “I just need you to think about Steve. Focus on Steve and nothing else. It’ll help me.”

“Ok.” Billy licks his lips nervously. “Just...think of Steve? Like memories and stuff?”

“Like memories and stuff,” Jane confirms.

Billy takes a deep breath and tries to concentrate. He thinks of Steve, of his kind eyes and warm smile. He thinks of how the hairs on the back of his neck still stand up when they kiss, thinks about how Steve rolls his eyes whenever Billy says something stupid, how Steve hums under his breath when he washes the dishes...

Suddenly, Billy is very aware that his feet are wet, and his whole body feels cold.

He opens his eyes to find that he’s no longer wearing a blindfold, but he’s still surrounded by darkness. He’s standing in a shallow pool of water which seems to go on as far as he can see and everything feels cold. He hadn’t been quite sure what to expect, but the emptiness in front of him sure seems to fit the description of _the void._

He suddenly becomes aware that Jane is beside him, the water rippling slightly as she wades forward. She looks calm, which Billy is thankful for, because he’s feeling pretty fucking terrified right now.

“There,” Jane whispers, arm outstretched as she points into the dark wilderness. Her voice seems to echo.

Billy looks at where she’s pointing, convinced they’re alone in the vast emptiness of the void, but sure enough, there’s a lone figure a few feet away from them.

Billy frowns at first, not recognising the person in front of him, but as he takes a few steps forward his heart rate picks up.

It’s a teenage boy, probably around 17 or 18, and he’s naked. He’s slim with a head of thick brown hair, which is wet and disarrayed. His eyes are closed as he stands under a shower head, rubbing shampoo into his hair and sighing as water trickles down his bare skin.

“Steve!” Billy calls, but the boy doesn’t respond; he just continues to wash himself.

The fact that he’s watching an eighteen year old Steve Harrington shower is incredibly bizarre, but the memory warms Billy in the middle of this vast coldness. Even though this memory is over thirty years old, he remembers watching Steve in the showers after gym class with such terrifying desire that even now it makes his heart stop.

“This is all you see?” Jane asks, interrupting his thoughts. “No...danger?”

Billy swallows, eyes fixed on the scene in front of him. “All I can see is this memory. That’s it.”

“No danger,” Jane repeats, sounding a little more certain. “We need to go. We’ve already been here too long.”

Billy can’t tear his eyes away from young Steve, still feeling unsettled, but before he can register what’s happening, he feels as though the floor is pulled from beneath his feet as he lands on his ass and sunlight filters into his vision again. He’s back in the Henderson’s house, and Jane is kneeling in front of him with his blindfold in her hand.

“Ok?” she asks.

“Ok,” Billy replies with a nod.

Billy barely has a moment to breathe a sigh of relief and reassure himself that all this _Save Steve_ crap has just been a pile of shit, when he hears a yell from downstairs.

“BILLY? BILLY WHERE ARE YOU?”

Billy and Jane freeze for a moment, and their eyes meet before scrambling to their feet to sprint downstairs.

Dustin is at the foot of the stairs looking panicked, and he grabs Billy’s arm, dragging him back to the living room. There’s something about the expression on his face that makes Billy want to be sick.

“I don’t know what happened,” Dustin babbles. “We were just talking like two seconds ago and then he just passed out.”

Billy’s heart stops when he sees everyone gathered around a figure lying on the floor in the middle of the room. He knows who it is before he can see their face.

“Steve!” Billy pushes past Nancy and Mike to reach his unconscious husband. He presses his fingers to Steve’s neck, thankful to feel a pulse, before lifting him by the shoulders to stroke his face.

“Steve,” Billy says, a little louder, “wake up. C’mon sweetheart, open your eyes.”

“We haven’t been able to wake him up,” Nancy says tearfully. “He’s just been lying there. He hasn’t responded to anything.”

“Steve!” Billy shakes his husband a little harder, desperate to evoke a reaction. His blood is pounding in his ears. “C’mon, baby.” When Steve still doesn’t move or open his eyes, Billy barks at someone to call an ambulance.

“No.” Jane places a hand on Billy’s shoulder. Her face is white and her eyes are glistening with tears. “We can’t call an ambulance.”

“Why not?” Billy demands, his own tears threatening to spill down his face.

“They won’t be able to do anything for him,” Jane sobs. “It’s the Upside Down.”

“What do you mean?” Billy asks. “How do you know? You just said there wasn’t any danger! We were there together and you said there wasn’t any danger!”

Everyone looks at Jane with confused expressions.

“There wasn’t,” Jane mumbles, eyes downcast. “But I think we...I think _I_ opened the gate. When we went to the void. I could feel it when we left. I think I let him out.”

“Let _who_ out?”

Jane’s face is almost ghostly and her lips are trembling as she whispers two words.

“ _Mind Flayer_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mystery deepens...
> 
> I’m trying to keep a fair balance between domesticity and mystery, so I’m hoping you’re still enjoying the direction this is taking.
> 
> As always, I love to hear your comments/feedback/questions.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who’s back!
> 
> First of all, I just wanted to apologise for how long it’s taken me to update this. Stuff happened that kept me incredibly busy and then I had computer issues which resulted in me losing the drafts for two chapters, which I’ve since had to re-write (I’m therefore hoping that it will make sense when you read it and I haven’t left out anything important!)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read this so far and left such lovely comments. I’m enjoying writing this story more than anything I’ve ever written so it’s great to get back into it.
> 
> As always, comments and questions are very welcome.

Billy has been afraid many times in his life.

He can remember how frightened he’d been when he first found out that his mother was ill, how he’d cried and sobbed into her sweater as she stroked his hair. He can remember how helpless and pathetic he’d felt, because surely it was _his_ job to comfort _her_ , not the other way around. It was the first time he’d been afraid of losing someone.

He can remember the first time his father threw him into a bookcase, his head dizzy and numb with fear; the kind of fear that he’d come to know well in his teenage years. He can still remember his heart pounding and his blood roaring in his ears as Neil’s fingers clasped round his neck and _squeezed_.

Billy remembers how afraid he’d felt the first time he saw Steve naked in the locker room showers and all he wanted to do was push him up against the wall and kiss him senseless. That had been a different kind of fear.

He remembers the time he lost David at the mall when his son was three, and how he’d spent nearly twenty minutes scrambling from store to store in a blind panic, only to find the kid playing happily in the soft play area.

All of those times seem to pale in comparison to what he feels now.

“Call an ambulance,” Billy says as he skims his trembling fingers over Steve’s neck, grateful to at least feel his pulse.

“We can’t,” Jane says with a thick voice and wet eyes as she shifts closer to Mike. “They won’t be able to do anything. Doctors might make things worse.”

“Call a fucking ambulance!” Billy snaps, and instantly regrets losing his temper when Jane flinches.

“ _Billy_ ,” Nancy says, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Jane is right. We’ve seen this before and taking Steve to the hospital will just make things worse.”

Billy looks at them all looking at him, as if he’s the crazy one. His eyes shift back to Steve, who looks so peaceful, unaware of the panic he’s causing. If Billy pulls him a little closer, he could maybe pretend that they’re back at home in bed together, away from Hawkins, away from all the crap that made them want to leave in the first place. His mother used to tell him stories about people who were bewitched by powerful spells, and could only be woken by true love’s kiss. He wonders whether Steve’s eyes would flutter open if he leaned down and pressed their lips together right now.

He’s jolted from his thoughts when the door bell rings. Dustin peers nervously out the front window, before disappearing to answer the door. When he returns thirty seconds later, he’s talking in hushed whispers with Lucas and Max.

“Oh my god,” Max gasps when she sees her brother-in-law lying on the floor, her face white as a sheet. She crouches beside Billy and feels for Steve’s pulse with her left hand, while rubbing Billy’s arm soothingly with the other. Billy doesn’t think he’s ever been quite so glad to be in his step-sister’s calming presence.

“What the hell happened?” Lucas asks as he takes in the scene before him.

“Steve’s been possessed,” Will says from the corner. His face is solemn and he folds his arms over his chest with a shiver. “The Mind Flayer has him. I know it. I can feel it. And it feels just like it did last time.”

“ _Possessed_?” Billy parrots, gripping Steve a little tighter.

Billy doesn’t want to believe that anyone could be possessed but he’s heard enough stories about the _Upside Down_ and the _Mind Flayer_ and _Demodogs_ to know that this isn’t good. He’s heard Steve mumble in his sleep and wake up screaming in the middle of the night enough times to know that what they’re facing here is something truly terrifying. In a sick twisted way, he almost wishes that Steve had suffered a heart attack or a stroke, something _physical_ that could be _fixed_ , instead of whatever the hell this is.

“How did this happen?” Max asks softly, holding one of Steve’s limp hands in her own. “I thought the Mind Flayer was trapped in the Upside Down? I thought Jane closed the gate 30 years ago so he wouldn’t be able to escape.”

“We went into the Void,” Jane says so quietly that Billy almost misses it. “We went to save Steve. Me and Billy. We must have stayed too long though a-and opened the gate.”

“You went to save Steve?” Jonathan frowns. “Why? Save Steve from what?”

The room is silent for a moment as everyone looks at Jane expectantly, but she simply looks at Billy, her eyes bright and wide with fear.

“I...” Billy swallows, his tongue heavy in his mouth. “It was something my dad said to me when we went to visit him yesterday. He was acting weird. He kept telling me to _save Steve_ , kept repeating it over and over.”

“He’s a sick old man, Billy,” Max says softly, stroking her step-brother’s hair.

“I know,” Billy croaks, blinking back tears. “But it was just the way he said it. Shit, _you_ heard him Max, you know it sounded eerie. And then David called me last night and told me some kid at his school said exactly the same thing to him.”

Billy thinks of his son now, alone and oblivious in California.

Will crouches down so that he’s eye-level with Billy. “The Mind Flayer is smart, Billy. Real smart. I know, he was in my head once. He always has a plan.” Will bites his lip, frowning thoughtfully. “What if...what if the Mind Flayer possessed those two people, your dad and the kid from David’s school, in order to get to Steve?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Billy says quietly through gritted teeth. “If this Mind Flayer thing wanted to possess Steve then why didn’t he just do it? Why go through this song and dance with my dad and this kid and this _save Steve_ shit?”

“Too weak,” Jane says, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “After I closed the gate, he would have been too weak to possess Steve...”

“The Mind Flayer would have needed to possess someone weaker first,” Will nods, finishing Jane’s thought. “Your dad, Billy. An old man riddled with dementia and a weak mind. And the kid...I don’t know. He must have been in some kind of weakened or vulnerable state at the time.”

“David said he was sick.” Billy brushes a strand of hair behind Steve’s ear. “I still don’t understand though.” He looks at Will. “How would possessing my dad and this kid have helped this thing get to Steve?”

There’s a moment of silence before Jane’s eyes widen with realisation. “Oh my god,” she sobs, gripping Mike’s shirt so hard that her knuckles turn white. “It was a trap!”

“A trap?” Billy feels his stomach drop.

“He tricked us, Billy.” Jane drops to her knees beside Will, a defeated look on her face. “Steve was never in danger. The Mind Flayer wouldn’t have had the strength to do anything to him but...he wanted us to think that Steve was in danger. He wanted us to go into the Void, to weaken the gate, _to let him out_.”

Billy could feel the eyes of everyone in the room fix on him. He couldn’t hold it in any longer; the tears slide down his cheeks as he feels a sense of hopelessness wash over him.

This was _his_ fault. It had been a trap, and he’d fallen for it. He had done this. And now Steve is paying the price.

“Ok,” Billy coughs, his voice thick. “Ok...so this thing wanted us to free him. We’ve done that. I fucked up and we set him free. What the hell does he want with Steve?”

Another moment of silence.

Will clears his throat. “My guess is that he never really wanted Steve to begin with. His goal was to escape the Upside Down, which he did by manipulating you and David. He knew you would go into the Void to save Steve, perhaps not just because of what your dad said, but he knew that if your son thought Steve was in danger too then you’d do what he wanted.”

“Ok.” Billy pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling as though he’s aged about twenty years. “So why doesn’t he just let Steve go?”

“Because he’s cruel,” Will says simply, his eyes sad. “Escaping the Upside Down may have been his goal, but making Steve _suffer_ , making _you_ suffer, is just an added bonus for him. When he was in my head before, it was like...fear and suffering gave him _energy_.”

_Fear. Suffering._

Billy clutches his husband’s unconscious body a little tighter.

“So what do we do?” Billy looks desperately around the room, feeling panic and rage build inside him, but is met with blank stares.

He catches Jonathan’s eyes pleadingly, then Nancy’s, then Mike’s- but everyone just looks at him as though they don’t quite know what to tell him. Billy has to admit that he’s a little disappointed. After all the stories he’s heard about this group of people and how they defeated such evil as children, he expected a little more. These are people who Steve risked his life to save, and they can’t even come up with one lousy suggestion to return the favour. Billy wonders why Steve gave so much to Hawkins when Hawkins never gave anything back.

The rage finally takes over and he slams his fist against the wooden floor, ignoring the way Max and Lucas flinch. He knows how he must look right now. He knows everybody must see him as an angry seventeen year old again with a hatred for everything who can’t keep his temper in check. But he doesn’t care. He just needs to fix what he broke.

Dustin, who has been oddly quiet up until this point, takes a step forward. “Close the gate again?” he suggests, eyeing Jane warily.

Jane doesn’t say anything, just buries herself closer to Mike.

“Jane,” Dustin says, more determined. “Please. For Steve.”

Jane looks at Billy, and Billy knows he must look so desperate, so defeated, so _terrified_ , because her face softens into something that resembles pity.

“Close the gate,” she says softly. “Yes. We could try to close the gate. Trap him again. But...I can’t do it alone. Closing the gate last time was...hard. I can’t close the gate _and_ pull Steve out from the Upside Down.”

“I’ll go with you,” Billy says without hesitation. He needs to fix what he broke.

Jane nods. “We should take someone else too. Into the...the Upside Down. You might struggle to get Steve out on your own.” She looks around the room, eyes darting from person to person, and frowns. “It should be someone with a close emotional connection to Steve. The better they know him, the easier it will be.”

Billy swallows. “Does it have to be someone here?”

“No,” Jane replies. “Can be someone anywhere.” She gives him a tiny smile. “I will keep you both safe. And we’ll save Steve. Promise.”

Will gives Billy a reassuring smile as well. “It’s gonna be fine. Jane kicked the Mind Flayer’s ass when she was a little girl.” He pats Jane on the shoulder proudly. “Just imagine what she can do now.”

Billy has always liked Will. It had taken him a while to get to know the younger boy because he’d been so quiet and withdrawn as a kid, which Billy doesn’t blame him for after all the shit he’s had to deal with. Billy had only really got to know him after Will had quietly confessed his crush on Mike to Billy and Steve when he’d got hammered on beer at Dustin’s 18th birthday party. Ever since then Billy has had a strong admiration for the younger man.

Billy pulls Steve’s limp body a little closer to his chest, and leans down so their forehands are touching.

“Hang on, Steve,” he whispers gently, as if it’s just the two of them. “I’m gonna save you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you’ll see I’ve now finalised the number of chapters. There will be ten, and the updates will be a bit more frequent now that I’ve managed to re-write a good chunk of the stuff that I lost when my computer crashed. We’ll therefore be approaching the end pretty soon...
> 
> Thank you again to those that have stuck with this. As always, very grateful for comments and feedback and very happy to discuss or answer questions.

When Steve opens his eyes he feels cold.

Not the kind of cold that he used to feel during winters in Hawkins, where his nose would turn red and his ears would go numb and Billy would get flakes of snow in his hair. Not the good kind of cold. Instead he feels cold inside, as if his very heart has been frozen.

He sits up slowly, groggy and disorientated, and blinks a few times until his eyes have adjusted to the small amount of light in the room.

The last thing Steve remembers is being in the Hendersons’ living room, helping Dustin’s kids with some coloring and half-listening to Jonathan complain about the rise in house prices in Hawkins, and then-

And then Steve isn’t quite sure what happened. He must have passed out at some point, because he doesn’t remember lying down on the floor.

When he looks around, his surroundings indicate that he’s still in the Hendersons’ living room, but something is... _off_. It feels colder, like someone has sucked all the warmth and life from the entire house. Everything seems darker too- it looks as though it might be night time outside. The most eerie thing though is that the house looks as though it hasn’t been lived in, hasn’t been _loved_ , for years. The wallpaper is peeling from the walls, the floorboards look and smell rotten, there’s dust everywhere, the furniture looks unused and moth-eaten, and there’s some kind of weird... _membrane_ everywhere.

There’s no one else in sight nor any other noise, and Steve feels his heart rate increase. He’s starting to piece together a theory about where he might be, and he prays that he’s in a dream, having another one of his nightmares, and any minute now he’ll wake up to Billy stroking his hair and kissing his neck. Any minute now he’ll be far away from here, with Billy’s strong arms wrapped around him.

_Steven Hargrove._

Steve gasps and clutches his throbbing head- an instant sharp pain jolts through him, making him feel as though his brain is turning to ice. It’s as if a parasite has invaded his mind because he can feel that something isn’t right; there’s something there that shouldn’t be. And right now it’s talking to him, it’s saying his name-

_Steven Hargrove._

It’s not really a voice; Steve isn’t sure what it is, but something is communicating with him inside his head. Something malicious. Something inhuman.

“What do you want?” he asks the empty room, not really sure who he’s talking to.

 _To thank you_ , the thing says. It sounds mocking and cruel inside Steve’s head, and he’s not sure he’s really being thanked for anything.

“For what?” Steve looks over the room quickly, searching for anything he could use as a weapon. He wishes he had his old baseball bat with the nails.

 _For releasing me from my prison._ A gloat.

The pain in his head grows and Steve drops to his knees, sweat dripping from his skin.

_Your family has been of great use to me._

The mention of his family makes Steve want to throw up. The idea of this _thing_ , whatever it is, going anywhere near David or Billy makes his blood run cold.

_Your son, alone and vulnerable._

The room shifts, and suddenly Steve isn’t in the Hendersons’ living room anymore; he’s on his hands and knees in shallow water that stretches on as far as he can see, and he’s surrounded by nothing but darkness. A few feet away from him however, there is what looks like a lone school desk in the middle of the water, with a miserable-looking teenage boy behind it. Steve instantly recognises the boy’s face and terror grips his heart.

“David!” He calls his son’s name but the boy doesn’t react; he just slouches in his chair and looks more miserable than Steve has ever seen him.

Steve calls his name again and tries to reach him; he tries to stand and wade through the water but another sharp burst of pain in his head has him falling back to his knees. In desperation he even tries to crawl to his son but another wave of pain causes him to collapse face down in the water as the sound of cruel laughter fills his head.

When he comes up for air, Steve suddenly finds himself thrown backwards, but instead of landing in water he lands on a hard floor. The surroundings have changed again; David has disappeared ( _it’s not real_ , Steve tells himself, _David wasn’t really here_ ), the water and the darkness are gone, and, if he remembers the decor correctly, he appears to be in the Byers’ house.

_Your husband who says he loves you._

Steve’s breath catches in his throat when he sees a seventeen year old Billy Hargrove standing over him with menace in his eyes.

Steve knows what happens next and tries to scream Billy’s name but it’s no use- Billy starts reigning punches on him mercilessly just as he did over thirty years ago. _This is not my husband_ , he tells himself as Billy’s fists meet his face over and over-

And then, just like that, Billy is gone.

Steve is back in the Hendersons’ living room (not the real Hendersons’ living room; the one that makes his insides freeze), and he’s all alone. Well, mostly alone.

_Your husband who says he loves you._

Steve collapses onto the floor, exhausted, and blinks back tears. “What do you want from me?”

_Everything._

Another flash of pain, and suddenly the two men he loves most in the world are standing in front of him. Billy and David together, standing side by side, looking down at Steve as if his mere existence displeases them.

“You’re not real,” Steve sobs, trying not to look in their eyes, trying not to see the hatred that he knows isn’t real. This is a cruel trick, because he knows that Billy and David would never look at him the way he’s being looked at now.

“You’re not real!” Steve screams louder.

Cruel, mocking laughter fills his head.

_They’re coming for you. And when they do, they’ll be mine too._

Steve sobs harder and reaches out for the men in front of him who look like his husband and son. He wishes he could warn them. He wishes he could tell them to stop whatever it is they’re planning on doing, because he’s just not worth it.

_You’ll be together again soon. A family reunited._

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few more chapters to go now- very exciting!
> 
> I hope you’re still enjoying this as we creep ever-closer towards the end. Hit me with your comments and questions! They are honestly the driving force behind this fic so please keep them coming.

David yawns and stretches his arms over his head, before frowning at the textbook in front of him.

He’s actually quite pleased with the fact that he’s spent his entire Saturday afternoon studying ( _algebra_ , no less), even though his progress has been slow and he’s still not really confident for his upcoming test. The truth is that he doesn’t even really _need_ to do well in algebra; his grades are high enough in his other classes to pick up the slack, but he knows how much his parents care about him doing his best so he’s determined to put the effort in.

David doodles on the corner of the page in front of him, wishing that his parents were home. His Pop would be able to help him understand some of this crap. Billy Hargrove is a man who likes to pretend that he’s not smart (“ _Your dad is better at this kind of stuff, kiddo,”_ he’d say whenever David asked for help with his homework), but he was actually incredibly intelligent. He also explained things really well in a way that was easy to understand, with no patronising bullshit.

A ping from David’s phone distracts him from his thoughts, and he thumbs in his passcode to read the text message he’s been sent. His stomach flutters when he sees who it’s from.

There’s this guy on his basketball team, _Andy_ , who he’s been texting back and forth for a few weeks now. He’s cute, _really_ cute, and he likes all the same video games that David likes, and he’s just so... _kind_. Andy is one of the few people who David feels he can talk to about anything, even though they’ve only recently become friends. He doesn’t even know if Andy is gay, and he’s too much of a coward to bring it up, so it probably won’t even go anywhere.

He’s been thinking about maybe talking to one of his parents about it. David knows his parents met through their school basketball team in a less accepting time, and he wonders how on earth they ever managed to build the courage to admit their feelings for one another. He knows that they didn’t like each other at first; their relationship was tense to begin with and they had a fierce rivalry when his Pop first moved to Hawkins. His parents never really talk much about their relationship before it became romantic, so David doesn’t push it.

He’s not too nervous about coming out to them (well, he’s a _little_ nervous) and he’s pretty sure they’ve already figured it out anyway (he’s never had a girlfriend and when he was thirteen he kept an X-Men poster of Hugh Jackman taped to his wall). He’s more nervous about how they’ll react to the fact that he has a crush that _might_ go somewhere.

David can just picture it now- his Pop would probably tease him endlessly about it (“ _So which one is Andy?_ ” he would say when he came to watch one of David’s future basketball games, before most likely sauntering over to introduce himself to Andy after the game), and his Dad... well. His Dad would probably try to be the _responsible_ parent and give him _The Talk_ again before handing him a packet of condoms.

David takes a deep breath and decides to man up and ask Andy if he wants to come over to the Hargrove household tonight as his parents are away. It’s a perfectly innocent request which he doesn’t think Andy will read too much into as they’ve been getting on really well.

He’s just about to begin typing out the text when his phone starts ringing. He frowns at the word _Pop_ that appears on his screen, wondering if maybe his parents have decided to cut their visit short (which would _really_ mess up his plans). He’s tempted to ignore the call but his conscience wins and he answers it.

“Hey Pop.”

“David, thank God. Ok, I need you to listen to me.”

The hairs on the back of David’s neck stand on end. Something isn’t right. He can hear the panic in his Pop’s voice- and something else too, a thickness which makes it sound as though he might have been crying. That frightens David more than anything because he’s never seen or heard his Pop cry before.

“Pop?” David tries not to sound panicked himself in an attempt to calm the situation. “Are you ok? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” Billy says quickly. He sounds breathless. “Listen, listen to me. Your Dad isn’t well.”

“Dad?” David feels his heart skip a beat. He immediately thinks of the kid in the library last night.

_Save Steve._

“What’s wrong with him?” David asks, abandoning his attempt to sound calm. “Is he ok?”

“He’s unconscious.” Billy Hargrove has never been one to mince his words.

David feels as though he wants to be sick. “I-I don’t understand. I spoke to him this morning and he seemed fine! Are you at the hospital? Do you need me to call someone? Shit, we’ve got a list somewhere with everyone’s medical information, blood type and stuff like that, do you want me to get-“

“David,” Billy interrupts, now sounding a bit calmer. “I need you to listen to me. We haven’t got a lot of time but I’m gonna explain some things to you real quick, things you need to know, and then there’s something I need you to do for me. Is that ok?”

David fumbles for a pen and some paper from the mess on the table, cradling his phone between his shoulder and his ear. “Yeah. Yes, that’s ok. Tell me what I can do to help.”

“Ok.” Billy takes a deep breath. “Here’s what you need to know. It’s gonna sound a little crazy, so I’m just gonna have to ask you to trust me...”

*****

David fumbles through the drawers in his bedroom, his phone in one hand as he uses the other to rummage through his clothes.

“Ok,” David says into the phone, “I’ve got a dark t-shirt. Will that work?”

“That’ll work,” Billy replies on the other end of the phone. “Tie it round your head so it covers your eyes, then sit down and try and relax, just like we talked about. Ok?”

“Ok.” David does as he’s told. If this were anyone else asking him to do this, he’s sure it would be some sort of prank. “I’m sitting on the floor with the blindfold on. Are you doing the same thing?”

“Yeah kiddo.” Some movement on the other end of the phone. “I’m doing the same thing. I’m gonna pass the phone to Jane now, ok? I want you to listen carefully to her and do as she says. I know it’s hard but try to relax.”

“Ok.” David takes a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. “Ok, I’m ready.”

There’s more movement on the other end of the phone, and then the next voice David hears is female.

“David?” Jane’s voice is quiet, but calm. Soothing.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

He’s only met Jane a couple of times when he was a kid, and he can’t really remember much about her. Until about twenty minutes ago all he’d really known about her was that she’s an old friend of his parents’, but now he’s been trusted with the knowledge that she’s someone very special. Someone _extraordinary_.

“It’s going to be ok,” she says gently. “We’re going to be right here with you all the way.”

David isn’t really sure what to expect. He’d listened in astonishment as his Pop had told him about what happened in Hawkins over thirty years ago, and how his Dad and their friends had been involved with it all. David had tried to take it all in as Billy talked about the _Upside Down_ and the _Mind Flayer,_ and explained how they were connected with his Dad’s sudden “illness”. The Upside Down and the Mind Flayer sounded like utterly horrifying concepts, and David marvelled at how his Dad had possessed the courage to face them when he was roughly the same age David is now.

Even though David had only had a very quick rundown, the thought of his Dad as a prisoner of the  _Mind Flayer,_ trapped and alone in the _Upside Down,_ absolutely terrifies him. And he’d quickly decided that he will do whatever it takes to bring his Dad back.

“Ok David,” Jane says, determination in her voice. “I need you to focus for me. Clear your mind. I want you to think about your Dad.”

“Think about my Dad?” David shifts his position on the floor, suddenly very aware of how the fabric of his blindfold is sticking to the sweat on his face.

“Yes. Think about your Dad, nothing else. Billy will do the same. Think of memories...feelings...thoughts. Whatever you want. Just think about Steve.”

This is turning into more of a bizarre ritual than David was expecting, but if this is what he has to do to save his Dad then so be it.

He takes a deep breath, and tries to think about the last time he hugged his Dad, just before his parents left for Hawkins. He thinks about his Dad’s cooking, and how much he’s missed it these past few days. He thinks about his Dad’s terrible basketball skills. He thinks about how he used to wet the bed every night when he was eight years old, and how his Dad would get up at two in the morning every single night to change his sheets for him, and kiss his hair and hug him and tell him there was nothing to be ashamed of-

Suddenly, David is aware that he seems to be sitting in water, so he scrambles to his feet and tries to remove his blindfold, only to discover that the material has disappeared.

He’s not in his room anymore- he’s surrounded by darkness, and there’s water covering the floor as far as he can see. It’s freezing, and it makes him feel as though he’s the only living thing that’s ever been here.

_The Void_ , Jane had explained. _It’s in my head. I can use it to find Steve in the Upside Down._

“David.”

David turns and lets out a sigh of relief when he sees that two people have appeared beside him. One is his Pop, who looks more exhausted than David has ever seen him, and the other is a woman who David assumes must be Jane, as he can’t really remember what she looks like. She’s small and slim, with shoulder-length brown hair and pretty eyes.

David doesn’t say anything, instead choosing to pull his Pop into a hug. He feels Billy’s arms wrap around him instantly, squeezing him tight.

“We don’t have much time,” Jane interrupts. “We need to do this quickly.”

“Ok,” David pats his Pop on the shoulder, his heart sinking at the sadness in the older man’s eyes despite the weak smile he gives. “What do we need to do?”

“I will find the gate to the Upside Down,” Jane says quickly. “I’ll take care of the Mind Flayer and close the gate. You two look for Steve.”

“How do we do that?” Billy asks with a frown. “And how do we get him out once we’ve found him?”

If Jane feels uncertain or afraid, she does a very good job of not showing it. “You don’t need to come to the Upside Down, it’s too dangerous. Stay here, in the Void, and find him through me. Do what you did before and think of Steve, and that will help me find him and project his location to you.”

David must look confused, because Jane just smiles at him gently and touches his arm reassuringly.

“Just think of Steve,” she says, “and I’ll do the rest. Use the strongest and most emotional memories you can- the memories you used to get us here weren’t strong enough to find him.” She turns to look at Billy. “Once you find him, try and get my attention. I’ll be busy, so we should use a code word or something which you can project to me.”

Billy thinks for a minute. “How about Eleven?”

Jane nods. “Yes. Eleven. Use that to get my attention and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Sounds easy enough,” David laughs nervously.

“ _Sounds_ easy,” Jane says. “But we need to be quick. Will said the Mind Flayer is smart and he’s right. Once the Mind Flayer knows I’m trying to close the gate, he might try and distract you. He might try to stop you from finding Steve and taking away his leverage.”

“His _leverage_?” Billy has a disgusted look on his face.

“He’ll know we’re here for Steve,” Jane says sadly, “and he’ll know that the only reason I haven’t closed the gate already is because we need to get Steve out. If we save Steve, we can close the gate.”

There’s a pause, and David takes a deep breath before asking the question that he knows his Pop is too afraid to ask:

“And if we fail?”

Jane bites her lip. “If we fail...if we can’t find Steve...then we have a choice to make. Either we leave the gate open so we can try again, but that will leave the Mind Flayer free to invade our world like he started to do 30 years ago.” She pauses, eyes darting nervously between Billy and David.

“Or?” David prompts. “What’s the second choice?” He thinks he already knows the answer and he knows he’s not going to like it.

“Or,” Jane continues, “we make the decision to stop the Mind Flayer from entering our world again by closing the gate anyway. But that would mean...”

“Trapping Steve,” Billy finishes, his face pale. “So what you’re saying is, if we screw this up, we have to choose between saving Steve or saving the world?”

Jane doesn’t answer.

“We’ll find him,” David says, with more confidence than he feels. “We’re not leaving here without him.”

Billy nods but looks utterly dejected, and David feels his heart break a little. He knows he has to be strong now for both his parents, even if he doesn’t feel that way. He can remember the countless times his Pop has comforted him when he’s been upset or afraid- from giving him words of encouragement before his basketball games, to holding his hand and helping him to focus whenever he’s had a panic attack. Now it’s time for David to return the favour.

“We’re gonna do this together,” David says as reassuringly as he can manage, rubbing his Pop’s arm. “We’ve always been a great team, and we’re gonna work together to bring Dad home safely. You and me.”

Billy’s lips twitch into a smile that almost reaches his eyes. “You and me, kid.” He turns to Jane. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.”

Jane nods. “Good luck. Take care of each other, and I’ll see you both soon.”

David barely blinks before Jane has disappeared. The spot where she stood is empty, as if she were never there to begin with. His Pop was right- she really is extraordinary.

He feels frightened, and he can tell his Pop is frightened too, so David does what he used to do whenever he got scared as a kid and takes his Pop’s hand. Billy lacing his fingers with David’s has the same effect on David that it did all those years ago- it makes him feel just a little bit braver.

“Ok,” Billy says with determination, squeezing David’s hand. “Here we go.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait and thank you so much to everyone’s who has stuck with this. We’re so close to the end now- only a couple more chapters to go! I hope you’re still enjoying this fic because I’m thinking of writing some shorter fics set in this family verse once this one is complete.
> 
> As always, comments and questions are very welcome and I’m always very happy to discuss!

 

The vast darkness stretching out before them is daunting, to say the least.

Steve is out there, somewhere, and it’s their job to find him. It’s their job to bring him home. It remains unsaid between them that they’ve only got one shot at this- if they don’t find him now, they never will.

“Ok,” Billy says, a hint of nervousness in his voice. “You know the drill, kid. Strong, emotional memories of your Dad. Got it?”

David nods. “Got it.”

He watches as his Pop closes his eyes, trying to focus, and he does the same thing, clearing his mind of everything but thoughts of his Dad. Jane had said that the memories he’d used before hadn’t been strong enough, so he searches his mind for something a little more emotionally rich. He rifles through birthdays, Christmasses, vacations, anything he can think of that reminds him of happy times with his Dad.

When he opens his eyes however, he’s still standing in the vast emptiness with no one but his Pop in sight.

_Try harder_ , Jane’s voice says in his head. David isn’t sure whether that’s what he imagines Jane would say if she were here, or if she’s really an encouraging presence in his head. It doesn’t really matter- all that matters is that he needs to _try harder_.

David closes his eyes again and thinks about the time when he fell out of the tree he’d been climbing at the back of the yard when he was eight. He’d later find out that he’d fractured his wrist, but during the drive to the hospital he remembers sitting in the back of the car in his Dad’s arms, tears running down his face as his Pop navigated them through traffic and cursed at other drivers. His Dad held him tight, kissing his hair and whispering soothing things in his ear, telling him he was a _brave boy_...

David remembers how when he’d first started high school he’d been bullied for a while. It had been during his awkward phase when he was still developing and his body and hair and teeth and skin were just a mess. His Dad had said he was a late bloomer. His Pop had demanded to know the names of the kids who’d called him _freak, ugly, pizza face, fag_....but his Dad had sat with him and held him while he cried, telling him how _smart_ and _brave_ and _kind_ and _awesome_ he was, and telling him stories about all the kids he’d known growing up who were bullied and went on to do great things...

David thinks about when he’d lost the first basketball game he played after he joined the team, and how both his parents had hugged him and told him he’d done such a great job, and even though he was disappointed he could still see the pride on their faces. And that makes him think of the first time he won a game, and when he looked up into the stands he could see his parents cheering and screaming, his Pop so excited that he hoisted his Dad off his feet. David remembers meeting his Dad’s eyes, wet with tears and filled with so much _pride_ -

Suddenly, there’s a sharp pain in his head, as if his brain has been struck by lightening. It makes him cry out in pain and lose track of his thoughts, and he’s so disappointed in himself because he felt like he was _so close_ -

David opens his eyes and is surprised to see that the vast darkness has vanished. Pop is still beside him, but their surroundings are completely different. It looks as though they’re standing in someone’s driveway in the middle of the night, outside of a small tired-looking house in the middle of nowhere. David doesn’t recognise the house but he notices that his Pop is frowning.

David is about to ask where they are when he notices that there’s a teenage boy standing on the porch of the house. He’s looks as though he’s around David’s age; he’s tall and slim with wavy brown hair and warm brown eyes, and the first thing David thinks is, _he’s cute_. The boy doesn’t seem to notice David or Billy though despite how close they’re standing, which must mean that they’re still in the Void somewhere- the driveway they’re standing in isn’t real and the boy isn’t really here.

The boy is looking straight ahead, and it’s only then that David notices there’s another teenage boy standing in the driveway beside what looks like a very nice car. Again, this boy looks to be about David’s age and he’s handsome- he has long blond hair and is wearing a shirt that’s only half-buttoned, revealing a muscular chest. He holds a cigarette between his fingers, and there’s something... _dangerous_ about him. Dangerous but oddly familiar.

“Am I dreaming,” the blond boy says, “or is that you, Harrington?”

_Harrington_.

David can almost feel his heart stop in his chest. Hargrove is his Dad’s married name, and _Harrington_ -

“Yeah it’s me,” the brunette replies. “Don’t cream your pants.”

David realises now who this is, who they _both_ are, and he can’t believe he didn’t see it to begin with. His parents, thirty years or so younger, standing right in front of him. He turns to look at his Pop beside him, whose face seems to have gone white.

“What is this?” David asks, noticing that neither of the boys seem to be able to see or hear him. “Pop, what is this? Is this...like a memory or something? _Your_ memory?”

“Something like that,” Billy replies, his eyes fixed on the teenage Steve.

“What are you doing here, amigo?” The younger Billy takes a few steps towards teenage Steve.

“I could ask you the same thing. Amigo.” Steve sounds on edge, as if he’d rather be talking to anyone else in the world right now.

There’s something disconcerting about the scene in front of David. There’s a hostile tension in the air between young Billy and Steve, which doesn’t sit right with him. He knows that they had a bit of a rivalry when they first met, but he’s only ever known them as his _parents_ who are crazy about each other.

David looks at Pop, whose face is completely white now as he takes in the scene in front him, his eyes darting back and forth between his younger self and young Steve as they discuss the whereabouts of his step-sister.

“Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch.” Young Billy glares at Steve.

_Bit of a bitch_? David frowns. He’s never heard his Pop talk about Aunt Max like that before.

The exchange continues and the tension in the air thickens as David feels a hand on his arm.

“David,” Pop says in a trembling voice, “listen, what you’re about to see-“

“- I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said,” young Steve says quietly, a brave fierceness in his eyes. “She’s not here.”

“-it’s meant to distract us,” Pop says quickly, panic in his voice. “This is the Mind Flayer, he’s showing us this on purpose so we lose focus-“

“-Then who is that?” Young Billy points at the window of the house, and David turns just in time to see a flash of red as a group of kids duck beneath the window ledge.

“David,” Billy says desperately, “look away, don’t watch this-“

“Oh, shit,” young Steve sighs. “Listen man-“

What happens next seems to take place in slow motion. David sees the look of rage on Billy’s face, before the boy reaches out with one hand to give Steve a firm push to the chest, sending the other boy sprawling on his ass.

_This can’t be real_ , David thinks. _Pop would never treat Dad like this._

“I told you to plant your feet,” Billy leers at Steve, before kicking the other boy in the stomach.

David feels as though his gut has turned to ice as he watches Steve cry out in pain. Pop looks as though he’s about to be sick.

_This can’t be real. This is a trick._

“David.” Pop grasps David’s hand in his. His voice is raspy, as if he’s holding back tears. “This is the Mind Flayer trying to distract us. We need to focus.”

David closes his eyes, blocking out the sight of Steve lying on the ground, and desperately tries to bring back his memories of his Dad from earlier. He thinks again about the drive to the hospital after fracturing his wrist, his Dad comforting him on his first day of high school, his first basketball win. He thinks of the time when he was ten and it was raining outside, and he built a fort in the living room with his parents. Pop helped him arrange blankets and cushions on the floor, and his Dad scooped him up in his arms and held him while thunder boomed across the sky outside and shook the house. David remembers feeling warm and safe as his Dad stroked his hair and whispered _you’re safe, it’s ok, I’m here David-_

_David._

“David?”

David opens his eyes and forgets how to breathe for a moment.

The driveway has disappeared- they’re in the dark Void again now- and instead of seeing a teenage Steve doubled over in pain on the ground, his Dad is standing in front of him, unharmed and 30 years older, looking exactly like he did when David last saw him a few days ago.

“ _Dad_?” David wants to cry with relief as he reaches out and takes hold of his Dad’s hands in his own, grasping them tightly just to make sure that this isn’t a dream, _this isn’t a trick-_

“Steve!” Pop cries, pulling his husband into a hug, and then pulling David in too so that he can hold his family in his arms. “Jesus Christ, Steve, I’m so fucking happy we found you.”

“You found me,” Dad says softly, hugging them both back. “I’m here. God, I’m so glad to see you both, I love you so-“

“Love you too, Dad, but we don’t have time,” David says quickly. The full reunion can wait until later. “We need to get Jane’s attention so she can get us out of here- we need to use the code word.”

“Jane? Code word?” Dad shakes the confused look from his face. “Never mind. Explain later. Let’s just get out-“

Without warning, their surroundings shift again, and suddenly they’re in a dingy living room. David is vaguely aware of a group of kids in one corner of the room screaming and shouting, and in front of them once again are teenage Billy and Steve-

“Shit!” Pop cries. “Fucking Mind Flayer must know we found you-“

David’s eyes are fixed on the two boys in front of him. Young Steve is lying on the floor, blood streaking his face now, as young Billy pummels him again and again-

_Not real. This never happened. Mind Flayer tricks_.

“Bud.” Dad pulls David into his arms, squeezing tightly. “Don’t look at this, sweetheart. Close your eyes.”

“ _Eleven_!” Pop cries at no one in particular, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for Jane, avoiding the scene in front of him.

David can’t tear his eyes from the two boys though, and is more convinced than ever that this is a cruel illusion meant to taunt them. He finds himself flinching every time teenage Billy’s fists connect with Steve’s flesh-

“Don’t watch, David,” Dad pleads. “Jesus, Billy, get us out of here!”

“I’m fucking trying!” Pop screams. “ _Eleven_!”

Teenage Steve is losing consciousness in front of them, his eyes glazing over and rolling back into his head as teenage Billy cackles and laughs....

_So much rage._

“ELEVEN!”

David feels himself being pulled backwards, not by either of his parents, but by what feels like invisible hands, and then he’s _falling falling falling-_

He lands with a thump on his ass and finds himself gasping for breath. When he opens his eyes, he realises he’s back in his bedroom. Alone.

He looks round desperately, suddenly afraid that maybe he dreamt finding his Dad, or Jane only managed to save him and his parents are still trapped-

David scrambles for his cell phone, remembering that if his parents did make it back from the Void, they’ll be in Hawkins, Indiana.

He finds his Dad’s number in his contacts list and listens to the phone ring, praying to God that he’ll hear that warm voice he loves so much, that his Dad is finally safe-

“David?”

David sucks in a breath, grips the phone a little tighter. “Dad?”

“Yeah I’m here, bud. Are you ok? Are you at home?”

“Yeah,” David laughs, relief flooding through him. “I’m fine. I’m back at home. Are you ok? Are you back in Hawkins? Is Pop with you?”

“I’m here, kid.” He can hear his Pop wrestling the phone from Dad on the other end of the line. “We’re fine, we’re good. Are you ok?”

“I’m ok,” David reassures him. “Is Jane there?”

“Yeah, Jane’s here. She’s a little tired, but she’s fine. Listen David, I’m so proud of you. We’re both proud of you. You don’t even know. You were so brave.”

David finds himself flushing at the praise. “Thanks, Pop. Just glad I could help.”

“Listen, I’m gonna take your Dad to the hospital here, get him checked out as a precaution, and then we’re coming straight home, ok?”

David smiles. “Sounds great.”

He exchanges quick _I love yous_ and goodbyes with his parents, insisting that he’ll be fine and that Pop should take Dad to the hospital to get him checked out, happy in the knowledge that he’ll see them both in person soon.

When he hangs up the phone, the exhaustion hits him and David sinks down onto his bed, feeling as though he could sleep for twelve hours.

When he closes his eyes though, instead of his parents happy and smiling safe, all he can see is a bloody teenage Steve being beaten half to death by a snarling teenage Billy Hargrove.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re nearly there...thank you once again for your support and patience...hope you’re still enjoying this!

“Jesus, Dustin,” Steve groans, “I’m _fine_. Gimme some air, man.”

Dustin just sobs and squeezes Steve tighter in a crushing hug, almost clambering onto the hospital bed with him. “I thought you were gonna _die_ , Steve! We all did. Besides, you’re going back to California soon and I don’t know when I’m gonna get to see you again.”

“We’ll see each other again soon,” Steve promises, feeling as though all the air has escaped from his chest. “Billy and I will come visit. And we’ll bring David too.”

Dustin finally pulls away and sniffs, pouting in a way that makes him look thirteen again. “You said that last time you were here. It was literally _years_ until you came back.”

Steve smiles. “Or how about you come visit us? It’s been a while since you’ve been to California.”

Dustin’s face lights up at that, and Steve glances at Billy at the back of the room who is shaking his head furiously with panicked eyes. Dustin had stayed with them a couple of times over the last few years, and Billy had always hated it. He and Dustin got along fine, but they had little in common, and Dustin is an... _interesting_ house guest.

David loves Dustin though; Dustin had been the one to teach him how to play Dungeons and Dragons. Dustin’s visits usually consisted of a very intense game of D&D with the Hargrove family, during which Billy would usually complain that he didn’t understand the rules and call them all nerds, even though Steve knew he always enjoyed those games.

“You mean it, Steve?” Dustin asks excitedly. He turns to Shirley. “Maybe when you take the kids to see your mom in the summer? Oh my god, this is gonna be so awesome, it’ll be just like the old days-“

“Sure, honey,” Shirley says with a smile, patting her husband’s arm. “Why don’t we give Steve a little space now, hm? He’s been through a lot.”

“Ok, fine,” Dustin babbles happily, “there’ll be plenty of time for more hugs in California.”

“Christ, Dustin,” Mike says with a roll of his eyes, “if you weren’t married I’d say you have a big ol’ crush on Steve.”

“You’re just jealous,” Dustin scoffs. “Because your best friend doesn’t live in _California_.”

“My best friend drives a _Porsche_.” Mike winks at Will, who grins back at him.

“We’re just all glad you’re ok, Steve,” Nancy interrupts, elbowing her younger brother in the ribs. “We’ll get out of your way now though. I’m sure it’s not easy to rest when you’ve got a group of loud people in your hospital room-“

“But we only just got here!” Dustin exclaims, waving his arms in the air.

“We’ve been here nearly an hour,” Jonathan laughs, starting to usher everyone out of the room. “C’mon guys, give the man a rest. We can go hang out at my mom’s- she said she’ll make pie and Hopper will fire up the barbecue.”

That seems to get people moving, which Steve is thankful for, because although he loves these people he’s _exhausted_. They each stop to hug him on their way out, wishing him a speedy recovery (even though he insists he’s fine). He gives Jane an extra long hug.

“Thanks for saving my ass,” he tells her. “And thanks for keeping my boys safe.”

Jane gives him one of her quiet smiles that makes him feel like she’s looking right into his soul. “Anytime. That’s what friends do.”

Steve gives Max a long hug too. “I think we’re due a visit from you in San Diego too, you know.”

“Maybe Christmas?” she suggests. “I do miss the warm weather.” She hugs Billy on her way out too, and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “Have a safe journey back. Say hi to David for me. Call me when you get home.”

Lucas follows her, giving Steve a smile and offering his hand to Billy to shake. “Take care, man. Safe travels.”

“Thanks, Sinclair.” Billy takes the offered hand and shakes it. “See you soon.”

Once everyone has finally left, Steve lets himself sink back into the pillows with a sigh. The whole day has felt like a horrible dream, and has brought back memories of sharp teeth and slime and the monsters that used to make him wake up screaming in the middle of the night-

“Hey.”

The bed dips with Billy’s weight as he takes a seat beside his husband, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

“Hey,” Steve replies, resting his head on Billy’s chest, focussing on the steady thump of the other man’s heart.

“Crazy day, huh?” Billy presses a kiss to Steve’s hair.

“Yeah.” Steve shifts onto his side, snuggling closer to Billy. “Let’s not do that again.”

They sit in silence for a few minutes, basking in the quiet peace that they haven’t been able to enjoy for several days.

“He’s gonna hate me now.”

“Hm?” Steve meets his husband’s eyes.

“David.” Billy swallows. He’s speaking so softly that Steve can barely hear him. “He saw... _that night_. He’s gonna hate me.”

“No, he’s not,” Steve says firmly, taking Billy’s hand in his. “We’ll talk to him when we get home. We’ll explain.”

Billy’s eyes are wet with unshed tears. “He must think I’m a monster.”

“He could never think that.” Steve kisses Billy’s cheek. “The boy he saw today is not the man he’s known for the last seventeen years.” Another kiss to the cheek. “He adores you.”

“Seeing that today....Jesus Christ. I looked like _him_.” A tear slides down Billy’s cheek.

“Listen to me,” Steve says gently, stroking Billy’s face. “You are not your father.”

Billy lets out a sob.

“ _Billy_.” Steve kisses his ear. “Honey. You’re not him. You’re an incredible father. You have a son who loves and respects you. A son who feels _safe_ with you and loves spending time with you.”

Billy buries his face in Steve’s hair.

“David loves you so much Billy, and he always will. _I_ love you. You have a whole family of crazy people here in Hawkins who love you. You’re not gonna die alone in a care home, waiting for your son to visit you once a year at Christmas. _You’re not him_.”

Billy caresses Steve’s neck gently. “Yeah. _I’m not him.”_ He says it as though he’s trying to convince himself that it’s true. “Thanks, Princess.”

Steve smiles. “Wanna get out of here? Go home.”

“Sounds great,” Billy agrees, returning the smile. “But I think there’s a couple stops we need to make before we do.”

*****

When they leave the hospital, the first place they go is Steve’s childhood home.

“They’re probably not even gonna be there,” Steve says with a frown when Billy insists they stop for a brief visit. “They’re always out of town now that they’re retired. Probably off on some damn cruise.”

It turns out that Steve’s parents _are_ home though, and they look surprised to see him and Billy standing on their doorstop.

“Steve, honey,” his mom says with a smile, pulling him into a hug. “You didn’t tell us you were going to be in town!”

“It was an impromptu visit,” Steve says with a shrug and a smile. He hasn’t seen his parents in some time, although he does speak to them regularly on the phone. “Billy’s Dad isn’t doing so good.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Billy,” Steve’s mom says softly, giving Billy a hug too.

Billy shrugs. “He’s been ill for a very long time now.”

Even Steve’s father shows some sympathy, patting Billy on the shoulder. “Let us know if there’s anything we can do, son.”

Steve doesn’t miss the way Billy’s lips almost twitch into a smile at the word _son_. Steve’s Dad and Billy hadn’t really got along at first (his Dad thought Billy was a bad influence when they were teenagers and had caught them making out in the Camaro on his driveway, which _really_ pissed him off), but their relationship had developed into something more positive over the years. Steve’s father had been quietly impressed by Billy’s work ethic and his job, and the nice house he’d bought in San Diego. They’d almost become _friendly_ when Steve gave up work for a few years when David came along, and Billy proved to both of Steve’s parents once and for all that he was a man who could provide for his family.

They stay for a little while and Steve finds himself forgetting about everything they’ve been through in Hawkins as he falls into easy conversation with his parents. He hasn’t talked to them like this in a long time, like _really_ talked to them, and it puts him at ease for the first time since he returned to Hawkins.

“And when will I next get to see my grandson?” Steve’s mother asks teasingly as she swipes through some photos of David on Steve’s phone. “He looks so tall now!”

“You should come and stay with us,” Billy suggests, grinning when Steve glares at him warningly. “Steve’s invited half of Hawkins to San Diego.”

“Look mom,” Steve says quickly, bringing up a photo of David in his basketball uniform in a desperate attempt to change the subject. “David won his last three basketball games.”

“I hope he’s still focussing on his studies?” Steve’s father says with a raised eyebrow. “How’s it going with the college applications?”

“He wants to go to Princeton,” Steve says proudly.

“Princeton?” His father gives an impressed nod. “Very ambitious. Glad to hear it.” He turns to Billy. “And how’s work going, William?”

“He got a promotion,” Steve says quickly, smiling when Billy sinks back in his chair, clearly embarrassed. “He’s a _senior manager_ now.”

Steve’s father looks at Billy as though he’s just been told that Billy is the CEO of Microsoft. It makes Steve feel warm inside to see his husband’s bashful blush, because he knows Billy never had this kind of validation growing up, and he deserves it _so much_. He loves that his dad has become a kind of father figure to Billy, even though they don’t see each other that often, and he can understand now why Billy wanted to come here before they left Hawkins.

“That was nice,” Steve says later as they drive off, waving goodbye to his parents. “I can’t believe my Dad wants to play golf with you though.”

“Could you imagine me playing golf?” Billy laughs. “Jesus.” He glances at Steve briefly as they stop at a junction. “We should make the effort to see them more often.”

Steve raises an eyebrow with a smirk. “Is this because my mom bakes you pie and my dad fawns all over you?”

“No. I mean, that’s a real bonus, don’t get me wrong. I’m just glad your dad doesn’t think of me as some punk-ass kid who feels up his son anymore.”

“You’re not a punk-ass kid anymore, but you do still feel up his son,” Steve points out with a laugh.

“Very true. Listen Princess, I know they weren’t around much when you were a kid, but you’re lucky to have parents like them. They love you and they want the best for you. They want you to be happy. Even if sometimes you want things that they don’t approve of.” Billy gives a half-smile, not really meeting Steve’s eyes.

“You mean things they don’t approve of _at first_?” Steve rests a hand on Billy’s thigh, squeezing gently.

Billy’s half-smile turns into a full smile. “Sure. The point is, we should spend more time with them. They’re great grandparents for David, which he sure as hell doesn’t have on my side of the family, and...” He swallows, hesitating. “Time is precious. Who knows how long they’ll be around.”

There’s a few moments of silence as Steve contemplates what Billy’s just said. He notices that they’re not driving towards the highway and frowns.

“Where are we going?”

Billy pushes his shades further up his nose. “Just one more stop, baby.” He takes Steve’s hand and presses his lips to the knuckles. “Then we’re going home.”

*****

Steve feels a sense of dread when they pull in outside the care home.

“We came for closure,” Billy says calmly. “That’s what we’re gonna get.”

When they see Neil Hargrove again, he looks exactly how they left him. He looks old and frail and like he’s not really _there_ , like his body is just existing and the man that was once inside is long gone. His eyes fix on Billy when he enters the room, but he shows no signs of recognition, or any other emotion, despite their very recent visit. Steve thinks of all the emotions he’s seen in those eyes before when they’ve looked at Billy.

Anger. Disappointment. Disgust.

He also thinks of the pure terror he saw in those eyes not so long ago.

_Save Steve_.

“We came to say goodbye,” Billy says to Neil, who doesn’t react. “This is probably the last time we’ll see each other.”

Billy falters and looks at Steve uncertainly. Steve gives him an encouraging smile.

“So,” Billy clears his throat. “Um. I know you probably don’t remember who I am and you definitely don’t understand why the hell I’m here, but I just wanted to say...goodbye.” Billy shifts from one foot to the other nervously. “We were never close and we fucking hated each other...and I just wanted you to know...I’m sorry for you. I feel really sorry for you. I never used to, but I do now.”

Neil stays silent, his face still blank.

Billy shrugs. “So yeah. There you go. I know you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about because your mind is fucking gone, but that’s it. I came here, I tried. Bye, old man.”

When Neil still doesn’t say anything, Billy just shakes his head and runs his hand through his hair. “I’m done with this town. Let’s go home.”

Steve squeezes his husband’s arm. “Let’s go home, Billy.”

“Billy?” Neil pipes up, confusion on his face.

They both stare at Neil in shock for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

The old man turns to a set of drawers beside him, and opens the top drawer slowly with a trembling hand. He pulls out a photograph that’s worn around the edges and slightly crumpled, as if it’s been folded and unfolded again and again. Neil smooths the photo with both hands, before offering it to Billy.

Billy looks at the photo, then at Steve, then at Neil, before finally taking it from his father.

“I had a son called Billy,” Neil says, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

Billy clenches his jaw as he studies the photo.

Steve looks at the piece of paper in Billy’s hand. It’s a photo of Billy taken some time in the early eighties, judging by his hair and youthful appearance. He‘s smiling at the camera, and Steve can tell that this photo was taken before he knew Billy, probably a few years before he moved to Hawkins. He looks around fifteen, and the defiance and rage that had been in his eyes when Steve first knew him isn’t quite there yet. He just looks like a boy. A normal, happy teenage boy.

_He looks like David_ , Steve thinks.

“You _have_ a son called Billy,” Billy corrects with an annoyed sigh. “I’m Billy.”

Neil looks at the photograph, then at Billy. He does this a few times, his confused eyes darting between the two versions of his son before him.

“Billy.” Neil says the name as if he’s testing how it tastes on his tongue. As if he hasn’t said it in so long that he’s forgotten how to form the word on his lips. “My son. I...I took you to Disneyland when you were eight. Do you remember that?”

Billy flinches. “Yeah. Yeah, I remember that. We went with mom.”

“We had a good time.” Neil smiles at the memory. “I don’t remember a lot of things but I remember that.”

Billy hesitates, and then slowly sinks into a chair next to Neil. “That was a long time ago. Christ, nearly forty years.” He shakes his head with disbelief. “Things were different back then.”

Neil looks at the photo sadly. “I don’t remember a lot about you.” He looks at Billy. “Tell me about yourself.”

Billy raises his eyebrows in shock. “You wanna know about _me_?”

“You’re my son,” Neil says, as if that answers everything.

“Ok.” Billy swallows. “Well. I live in San Diego. I have a job that I’m not crazy about but it bought me a nice house and puts food on the table. I’m married and I have a son called David.”

Billy pulls out his phone and shows Neil a photo of him, Steve and David. “That’s your grandson,” Billy says, pointing at David.

“ _Grandson_ ,” Neil says in awe, brushing his fingers over David’s image on the screen hesitantly. He moves his fingers across the screen to settle on Steve’s face. “Who’s this?”

“That’s Steve.” Billy hesitates. “My husband.” He gestures to Steve, who has remained silent so far. “He’s here now.”

Neil nods slowly and frowns, as if he’s struggling to remember.

“You beat him,” Billy says quietly, unable to contain himself.

“I beat him?” Neil asks. It sounds half like a question and half like a statement.

“ _Billy_ ,” Steve says warningly.

Neil just looks at him sadly. “I remember you,” he says to Steve. He looks at his lap uncertainly, then glances back at Billy. “It sounds like you have a lot of responsibility now.”

“A _lot_ of responsibility,” Billy agrees. “I’ve got people I need to take care of.”

There’s a moment of uncomfortable silence before Neil nods. He looks at Steve with wet eyes. “Does he respect you?”

Steve frowns, and notices that Billy is looking very nervous. “Of course.”

“Then that’s all there is to say,” Neil says quietly, as if what he’s said makes perfect sense to everyone in the room.

_“Respect and responsibility_ ,” Billy scoffs. “Probably the only things you ever taught me as a father.”

“Probably,” Neil agrees, and Billy looks shocked at that. “But then, I don’t really remember.” He pats Billy’s hand. “I guess this is goodbye.”

“You got that right, old man.”

Neil leans back in his chair and closes his eyes, as if this whole conversation has exhausted him. “Then go. Don’t waste your time with me. Go and take care of whoever you need to take care of.”

Billy just looks at him for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. “Yeah. I’ll do that.” He stands, hesitates for a moment, then places his hand on Neil’s shoulder before quickly letting go, as if the touch burns him. “Bye, Dad. Hope you find some peace.”

Steve smiles and takes Billy’s hand in his. They walk hand in hand from the room without looking back.

Once they’re gone, Neil Hargrove opens his eyes.

“I hope you find peace too,” he says to the empty room. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback really welcomed as I don’t write a lot of multi-chaptered fics. Next chapter coming soon!


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